Locked in Closets
by GlitteringClouds
Summary: Mordecai's crush on Benson has them growing suddenly closer. All they need is that extra push...Mordeson, Rigleen, Past!Mordaret
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

**A/N Maaaaan guys I'm SO SO sorry for not posting a story for the past 6 months. Fanfiction just crashed on me and wouldn't let me upload any new fics... :/ BUT I'm back! I _have_ been posting on my second Tumblr account though so I haven't completely abandoned writing despite the site going down for a long while-**

**Here's a new fic that I'm actually kinda pleased with so I really hope you enjoy it :D**

**Idea credit goes to Apocalypticinsomnia on Tumblr**

**(This fic's kinda a change around one, with CJ not appearing at all and Mordecai and Margaret having previously dated instead SO)**

He was gonna do it. He was gonna tell him. As soon as he got a soda...

When Rigby saw Mordecai fishing around in the fridge, he groaned and leant against the door. "Come on, dude, when're you gonna tell him?"

"Just after I have a soda, I promise." Mordecai answered, his voice quiet incase Benson was near.

"Can't you just hurry up and get it over with? I mean you've known the guy for years and now that you finally get a crush on him, you just wimp out?" Rigby shook his head as Mordecai stood with a soda in his hand. "This is exactly like the whole Margaret thing. Next thing you know Benson'll be off to another country or whatever and you'll never see him again!"

Mordecai almost spat out his soda. He stopped and glared at the raccoon. "Would it kill you to keep your voice down?! And anyway, this is not like what happened with Margaret. I mean, at least Bensons still at the park."

"Oh yeah, he's here now, but what if he just comes round the corner with a suitcase in his hand and he's like 'oh i'm going to europe and i'm never coming back! sorry you lost your chance to admit your dumb crush on me mordecai but it's too late now 'cause i've got a smoking hot boyfriend who's way better than you!"

Mordecais blood boiled and for a second, he considered pouring his soda all over the raccoon, but he decided against it. It'd be a waste of a drink. "Shut it, man." He shut the fridge door and Rigby followed him in the lounge. "Anyway, we don't even know what Bensons...into"

They both slumped on the couch and Rigby turned to Mordecai with an exasperated look on his face. "It doesn't even matter! Why don't you just go for it? That's what I'd do."

Mordecai took another sip. "Well, I'm not you so..." Something Rigby'd said came to mind and he frowned. "And it does matter! Of course it does! I mean, what if he rejects me? What if he just outright says no?"

"If he says no, he says no. You'll get over it."

"Dude, I've liked Benson-"

"-since a month after you broke up with Margaret. I know, we've been over this. Look man, just man up and ask him. The worst thing that could happen is rejection."

"Yeah, and rejection sucks!" Mordecai finished his soda and threw himself back into the couch, sighing. "I'm just waiting for the right moment."

Rigby groaned and threw up his hands. "This is EXACTLY like the Margaret thing!"

"It is not!" The blue jay punched Rigby in the arm and the raccoon hit the side of the couch. He sat up and rubbed his shoulder.

"Alright, I'll tell him then!" Rigby jumped off the couch and ran for the stairs.

"Rigby no!" Mordecai raced round and he grabbed Rigby before he could touch the bannister.

"Arg get off me!" The raccoon tried to push Mordecai away but the blue jay was stronger. Much stronger.

"I will if you promise not to tell him!""

"No! You're just going to keep putting it off so I'm doing you a favour!"

"What're you two doing?" Bensons voice echoed down the stairs and both Mordecai and Rigby looked up, frozen. Bensons hard stare had Mordecai scrambling off of the raccoon but Rigby slowly stood up, looking up at their boss.

"We-we were just fighting..." Mordecai mumbled out, going red.

"Could you fight another time? We've got work to do." Benson turned to go back to his office but Rigby stopped him.

"Actually it's good that you're here Benson because Mordecai wanted to ask you something-"

"-DUDE NO!"

Mordecai jumped on Rigby and covered his mouth while the other hand pinned him down.

Benson watched the duo wrestle for a moment then rolled his eyes. "Just get back to work." With a sigh, he went back into his office. As soon as the door shut, Mordecai drew his hand back with a loud yell.

"Ugh dude what'd you do that for?!"

"To get your hand off my mouth!"

Mordecai wiped his hand on his side. "No I mean why'd you go and tell Benson that?!"

The blue jay got off him when Rigby made a move to stand. He dusted himself off. "Because you need to tell him!"

"Can't I tell him on my own terms?"

"Oh yeah and when's that gonna be huh? What, 10 years from now?"

Mordecais face grew hot. "Arg I'm done listening to you. I'm going to the coffee shop." Mordecai turned and went to the door.

When it slammed shut, Rigby let out a loud groan and he moved to the kitchen for a soda to cool himself off.

The bell to the coffee shop rang and Mordecai went to take his usual seat as Margaret came up. "Oh hey Mordecai. The usual?"

"Nah, I'm just here to sulk." His elbow was propped up on the table, his head in his hand.

She frowned and when she saw the raccoon was absent, Margarets forehead creased. "Where's Rigby?"

"Why do you think I'm here to sulk?"

"Oh, Mordecai." Margaret went round and sat next to him. "You still haven't told him yet?"

Mordecai dropped his hand. "No, and I don't plan to anytime soon."

"Anytime soon? Mordecai, it's been almost 3 months. You gotta tell him sooner or later. I mean, sooner is the best option but." She took his hands. "Do you remember what happened before we started going out? You kept chickening out every time you went to tell me and when you finally did, I was always with someone else?"

Mordecai pulled his hands away. "I really don't feel like a lecture right now Margaret. I already got one from Rigby and that didn't go well."

The robin sighed and rubbed her hands on her apron. "What I'm trying to say is, is that it's best to do it when you've got the chance. Benson might be taken tomorrow and you'd have lost it like that. Or he could be off the market right now and you'd never know."

"He's still single, Margaret-"

"-see? Just go for it!"

"I don't think you understa-"

Margaret saw a man entering the cafe out of the corner of her eye and she stood before Mordecai could finish his sentence. "Oh! Sorry Mordecai, I gotta get back to work. Good luck."

Mordecai watched her leave then let his head fall on the table. "Thanks."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Mordecai sighed as he scraped his chair back. "Thanks for the free cake, Margaret." He stood up and headed for the door.

Margaret turned just as she'd finished serving a customer. "No problem, Mordecai..." But the door'd already shut before Mordecai could hear her.

Mordecai walked back to the park with a lingering feeling in his gut. "Ugh why do they keep telling me to tell him now?' He muttered to himself. "I mean, there might be a small chance that Benson'd say he felt the same way but..." He shook his head. "There's a very slim chance that he'd say that...oh who am I kidding? Benson doesn't feel that way about me at all." Mordecai kicked a stone and it went skittering on the road. "Anyway, I've never even seen him go out with a guy so if he says no, then I'll just look like a huge freaking idiot..." The blue jay walked into the park, still muttering under his breath. "I can't believe Rigby would just...go and tell him like that. Why doesn't he understand that this isn't the right mo..." Mordecai started to slow his pace as his voice trailed off and when he saw the house, something dropped in his stomach. He raced inside, a horrified expression on his face, to see Rigby gone from the lounge. "Shoot..."

The blue jay walked inside and sat on the couch, his head in his hands. He heard the front door slam shut but he didn't look up.

"You okay, Mordecai?"

When Skips sat next to him, Mordecai took his hands away and leaned back into the couch, sighing. "No..."

"If you're wondering where Rigby is, he's outside finishing his work."

Mordecai looked away, thinking. "Hey Skips..." He turned back to look at him to see the yeti was waiting for him to continue. "H-Have you ever liked someone...a lot but...you're too afraid to tell them incase..." His voice trailed off again when he saw Skips nodding and he went red.

"This is about Benson, isn't it?"

The blue jay went redder. "Y-Yeah..."

"Look Mordecai, if you want my advice, I think it's best to tell him now to get it over with-"

"-But what if Benson's not even romantically attracted to guys? What if I tell him and he shoots me down like that?" Mordecai groaned and covered his face again.

Skips looked at him. "You're overthinking it."

"I know, I know..." The blue jay took his hands away and folded them on his lap. "I just...want it to be the perfect moment you know? I mean, Margaret told me to do it now because I might not get the chance but...ugh what does she know? She's the one who never even realised it till I actually told her. No wonder I broke up with her..." A hand on his shoulder made him stop and look up to see the yetis grim face looking back at him.

"Mordecai, stop dwelling on the past. That's over. Now you've got Benson to think about." He paused when Mordecai looked away. "Take it from someone who's had many years of experience...if you tell him now, even if it means facing rejection, at least you would've done something instead of sitting around waiting for Benson to pick up on it. Besides, if you get this off your chest, you won't have to worry anymore."

Mordecai was quiet. "Do you...do you even know if." He turned back to Skips, choosing his words carefully. "If Benson even...likes guys...?"

Skips paused. "You know, I don't even know myself." He chuckled. "The only people I've ever been introduced to by him have been his ex-girlfriends, Veronica and Audrey. If Benson ever went out with or had a romantic attraction towards a guy, I never saw or heard about him." He looked at the blue jay. "Sorry, Mordecai."

Mordecai closed his eyes and sighed. "Thanks Skips."

"Hey." Mordecai opened his eyes to see Skips was smiling slightly. "Remember what I told you. It's best to do it now than to keep putting it off." He patted his shoulder and Mordecai offered a small smile as he watched the yeti skip away and out the door. When he was gone, Mordecai closed his eyes and sat in silence, thinking.

In a couple of minutes, Mordecai opened his eyes and pushed himself off the couch. He headed to the stairs, but just as he reached the final step, Bensons office door opened and the gumball machine emerged, carrying his clipboard. He looked up and when he saw the blue jay, he frowned.

"Hey, Mordecai. Have you already finished your jobs?"

"M-My jobs?"

Benson raised an eyebrow. "Yes, your jobs I assigned you this morning?"

Mordecai swallowed. "Uhh...could you just remind me what they were?"

With an irritable sigh, Benson looked down at his clipboard and flipped the page over. Running the end of the pencil down the page, he stopped at Mordecai's name. "You were supposed to rake the leaves and clean the fountain." He looked back up, flipping the page back over.

"Oh! Oh, yeah I've done those." Mordecai forced a smile and Benson stared at him, trying to read his expression.

"Okay, well, if you're looking for Rigby, he's outsi-"

"-Actually I'm not looking for Rigby. I already know where he is."

Benson stopped. "Oh, okay then." He smiled. "Well, I'll see you around, Mordecai."

"See ya, Benson." The blue jay watched him go down the stairs before dropping the smile and gripping the stairwell so his knees wouldn't buckle. He took a deep breath then continued down the hallway. Just before he got to his room, the toilet door opened and he bumped into Pops, both of them almost falling back on to the floor.

"Pops! Sorry dude, I didn't see you..."

Pops wiped his hands on his waistcoat. "It's quite alright, my good man." His smile faded when he noticed the blue jays red face. "Mordecai, what is the matter?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Your face has turned a bright red."

"It has?" Mordecai felt his cheeks grow hot. "Ohh..."

"I think you may just need some fresh air." Pops went back down the hall and turned to the stairs. Mordecai followed him down and out the door. When Mordecai was outside, the heat in his face went down instantly and he sighed in relief.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Mordecai watched the water drip down the flower petals as he slowly moved down the line. Pops was behind him, watering his own bunch. The blue jay was happy with the distraction; at least he had something else to occupy his mind. But he still found himself thinking back to it. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"Hey Pops?"

"Yes?" Mordecai heard him stop watering his side.

Mordecai hesitated. "Uhh...y-you know I like Benson, right?"

Pops giggled. "Why, of course! Everyone likes Benson!"

"No Pops, I mean...I like like Benson..."

"As do I!"

"No Pops..." Mordecai finally turned around. "I mean I...like him..." He held the back of his neck, his cheeks getting hot again. "M-more than a friend..."

Pops frowned. "You mean like a best friend?"

"More than a best friend..."

The lolliman paused, thinking. When his face lit up, Mordecai winced. "Oh! You love Benson!"

"Shhhh!" Mordecais eyes went wide then he sighed and turned back around. "Well, I wouldn't say love is the right word..." He said quietly, watching the water splash onto the soil.

"Oh Mordecai, that is wonderful! Have you told him?"

The blue jay cringed. "No?"

Pops stopped. "Why not?"

"Because...I'm scared to..."

"What is there to be scared of? Love is a beautiful thing, not something to hide away from."

"I know but..." Mordecai stopped and around to face the lolliman. He shrugged one shoulder. "Well...I'm kinda worried about what Benson will say..."

"He'll understand Mordecai, don't worry."

"No I mean...what he'll say when I tell him that-that I like him..."

Pops paused. "Well, the worst that could happen is a no. And even though it'll hurt, the most important thing is you getting this off of your chest."

"You don't know what Benson's...preference is, do you?"

The lolliman put a hand to his chin then he shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know, Mordecai."

Mordecai sighed and picked up the watering can, going back to the job. "Thanks Pops."

Pops stared at the blue jay sadly, before going back to his line.

When they'd finished, Mordecai gave Pops his watering can and the blue jay watched him walk off before going to the Park house. He slammed the door shut and went into the lounge to find the raccoon flicking channels. When Mordecai sat next to him, Rigby continued staring at the tv.

"...Did you tell Benson yet?"

Mordecai threw up his hands. "Aw come on man!"

"Well did you?" Rigby switched the set off then threw the remote across the couch, turning to the blue jay.

"N-No..."

"UGH!" Rigby leaned back in the couch. "Are you sure you don't want me to do it?"

"Yes I'm sure!"

"You do it then!"

"I can't!"

Rigby frowned. "Why not?"

"Because..." Mordecai started to go red. "We went over this this morning!"

"Just do it man! If you keep waiting for the right moment, it might be too late and it'll turn out to be Margaret all over again."

"Would you stop bringing her up? Me and her are through-"

"-I know, I know." Rigby stopped and sighed. "I just don't want you to get all depressed again if you find out Bensons already taken. Doing it now would just...take all the pressure off..."

Mordecai went quiet. "Listen Rigby, I get what you're trying to say but I just...I want to wait alright?"

"Alright man..." Rigby lifted himself off the couch and grabbed a controller. "You wanna play Dig Champs?"

The blue jay felt himself smile. "Sure."

**Sorry it's so short. Next chapter'll be up tomorrow~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Half an hour later and Mordecai'd beaten Rigby 5-4. The racoon looked at the blue jay as Mordecai began to rub his win in his face.

"Ugh whatever dude." Rigby jumped off the couch and put his control on the table. "I'm gonna go get a soda, you want one?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Rigby went off to the kitchen as Mordecai sighed and sank into the couch. After a few seconds, he pushed himself off to reach for the console. Just as he took the game out, he heard footsteps and he stopped to hear the faint rattle of gumballs coming down the stairs and he instantly pushed himself back in the couch.

Mordecai hesitated before turning slightly and smiling at his boss. "H-Hey Benson."

Benson glanced up from zipping his jacket. "Hey Mordecai."

"Are you going home?"

"Yeah. I didn't finish but I'm exhausted and I just want to get back to my apartment." He looked up and Mordecai took notice of the bags under his eyes, making his smile falter a bit. Benson stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, goodnight Mordecai."

Mordecai felt his heart sink as he watched Benson turn to the door. He glanced away, thinking, before looking back at him with wide eyes.

"Benson, wait."

The gumball machine stopped and looked at his employee. "Yeah?"

"I...I um..." Mordecai swallowed. "I just-wanted to tell you something..." He felt his body go hot and he willed himself to keep his voice steady.

Benson stood waiting with the door still open but Mordecai was too choked up to speak. He began to shake from nerves and the gumball machine opened his mouth to say something but Rigby appeared from the kitchen with two sodas. Mordecai felt his body relax a bit when he saw him; a distraction.

"I got sodaaaaaas..." Rigby was grinning but when he saw Mordecai facing Benson, he looked at the blue jay in confusion, a thought forming in his head. "Uhh here you go Mordecai." He passed the can to him, sitting next to him on the couch.

"Thanks dude." The blue jay took it, opened it and had a long gulp to hopefully calm his nerves.

"So uh Mordecai. What were you going to tell me?"

"Oh!" The blue jay lowered the drink and looked back at his boss. He could see Rigby staring at him out of the corner of his eye and his face began to get hot. "I uh...I was going to tell you that...that I...really like your jacket." Mordecai suddenly grinned and he could see Rigby facepalm next to him.

Bensons expression twisted. "Um...thanks?"

"Yeah, it's a..." Mordecai coughed. "Really good jacket..."

"Right..." Benson turned back to the door and stepped out. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow you two."

When the door shut, Mordecais grin dropped and he threw his face into his hands, sinking into the couch. "Ugggghh..."

Rigby sighed irritably. "Why'd you do it now?"

Mordecai turned to look at the raccoon, his face a light red. "You were the one who wanted me to get it over and done with!"

"Well yeah but I didn't mean now now! I meant like tomorrow where you would've planned it out."

Mordecai looked back at the door and sighed. He turned around to face the tv. "Forget it Rigby. I'm never gonna be able to tell him."

"What..?"

"Didn't you just see what happened? I totally embarrassed myself in front of him!"

"Dude you did that, like, a bajillion times in front of Margaret. How is this different?"

"Ugh, I just...I don't know man, it just is..."

"Look dude you just need to be confident. Margaret turned out to be a huge bust because you just weren't confident in yourself. I mean, yeah, you did finally tell her that you liked her but that was because of me and Muscle Man."

Mordecai paused as Rigby's words sunk in. He looked at the raccoon and smiled.

"Hey, yeah you're right." He frowned when something occurred to him. "But how do I be confident?"

Rigby shrugged. "I don't know dude, you just...go for it."

"But I can't, you know that."

"Then I've got nothing." The raccoon downed his soda. "You wanna play another video game?" He asked, leaning towards the console.

"Aren't you gonna help me with this?"

"Rigby stopped. "Look man, you're my bro. Bro's help bro's. But you gotta learn to be confident.'

Mordecai wiped a hand across his face. "Alright fine. I'll do something tomorrow."

The raccoon groaned. "Geez, finally." He made a move to put in another game but Mordecai shook his head.

"I'm gonna head to bed. Got a big day tomorrow." He pushed himself off the couch and let out a big breath. Rigby switched off the tv and console and bounded after the blue jay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Mordecai lay awake with his eyes on the ceiling. He was trying to think of what to do tomorrow to be more confident about approaching Benson but after about half an hour, nothing'd come to mind. He sighed when he felt himself shiver and he pulled the covers up more. Rigbys words kept bouncing around in his head and for a moment, he considered telling Benson straight out but then he dismissed the idea after remembering what'd happened when he'd attempted to tell Benson the first time.

After a few more minutes of thinking, he closed his eyes and rolled on his side so he was facing the wall. It was hopeless; he'd leave it for tomorrow.

Morning sunlight filtered in the room and Mordecai slowly opened his eyes, a smile on his beak. Today was the day. He turned and sat up, letting out a yawn. The blue jay stretched and swing his legs over the bed, just as the alarm went; 8:15. He hit the snooze button on the clock and looked over at the trampoline to see Rigby bundled up in clothes.

"Come on man, get up."

Rigby groaned but didn't budge. Mordecai sighed and walked over to their bedroom door. He opened it and went to the bathroom to freshen up for the day.

When he was done, Mordecai went downstairs to make breakfast. Rigby emerged 15 minutes later, yawning.

"Hey dude."

"Morning Rigby." The blue jay got two bowls from the cupboard and poured himself and the raccoon cereal as Rigby pulled up a chair and sat across from him.

"So." The raccoon started as Mordecai poured milk in his bowl then his own. "Did you think of anything last night?"

Mordecai shook his head, setting the carton on the table. He scooped up a mouthful of cereal and put it in his mouth. "To be honest, I think I'm starting to have second thoughts about this..."

Rigby almost spat out his breakfast. "Wait, what?"

"I don't know, I mean." He swallowed his mouthful. "Don't you think it's too soon to, you know, start doing something?"

The racoon stopped and stared at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"What?"

"It has been months, Mordecai. _Months. _You should've done something when you first started having these feelings for him! And now that you want to do something, you start doubting yourself? Seriously man, Benson's just gonna be taken as soon as you make up your mind."

Mordecai frowned at Rigby then he took another mouthful and looked away, sighing. "Ugh, I know dude, I'm sorry. It's just...well, what if I-"

"-No, don't even finish that sentence. Go for it. Stop thinking about it and do it." Rigby looked at him with his spoon in his mouth and Mordecai was silent.

"Uhh..."

"Don't make this another Margaret thing, dude. That's the last thing I need." Mordecai watched Rigby drink the milk in his bowl but he was speechless. Rigby must've really been sick of this.

When they were both done with breakfast, Rigby put the bowls in the sink and Mordecai put the cereal and milk away. They both headed outside and sat on the steps, where Pops and Skips were already waiting. It was only quarter to 8.

When it almost hit 9am, the other employees starting arriving and soon, Benson came up with his clipboard. As soon as he saw their boss, an idea came to Mordecai and he began to smile. He nudged Rigby and the raccoon looked at him.

"Dude I've got an idea for what to do today."

"What?"

"I'll tell you later."

Benson read out the duo's jobs last and the employees started to stand. Mordecai watched Benson go inside before looking back at Rigby and he opened his mouth to speak when everyone was out of sight.

"Okay, I was thinking that maybe I could take him out to lunch his afternoon." When he saw no reaction from Rigby, Mordecai swallowed, starting to get nervous. "I mean, he does work hard and he was pretty exhausted last night so..."

"...That actually doesn't sound too bad." Rigby began to smile. "Yeah, that sounds good. Good on you, man."

Mordecai felt a weight lift off his shoulders. "Thanks dude. Do you think I should ask him now?"

"Go for it. Good luck, Mordecai."

"Thanks, Rigby." Mordecai got up and headed inside.

Rigby stood and went down the steps to start on their chores, hoping Mordecai'd be done soon.

The blue jay put a hand on the bannister and started up the stairs. But as he got closer to the landing, he began to feel a knot in his stomach and he paused. He sighed and continued up, trying to ignore it._ Don't overthink it._

When he finally got there, he stopped at Bensons door to steady himself before knocking a few times. He heard a "come in" and he pushed it open, trying to slow his heart. "Hey Benson..."

"Mordecai?" The gumball machine only glanced up. "Shouldn't you be doing your chores?"

"Yeah, but um..."

"What?"

"I just...wanted to ask you something..."

"What is it? I'm kinda busy here..."

The knot tightened and Mordecais face started to get hot. "I-I uh..."

Benson suddenly stopped and looked up, frowning. "Come on Mordecai, spit it out."

"..."

"What?"

"..."

"Speak up."

Mordecai sighed and looked away, putting a hand to his neck. "I was wondering if I could take you out to lunch this afternoon." Benson only stared at him and Mordecai began to sweat. "I mean, if you're not busy." He added quickly. "Cause if you are, that's totally fine-"

"-I'll have all this done in a couple hours and I'll be free by then."

Mordecai stopped. "Oh, okay. I just saw that you were tired last night and I wanted to take you to lunch as, you know, my treat." He let out a nervous laugh and swallowed, closing up.

He began to smile. "Oh...well, that's very nice of you, Mordecai. Yeah, sure, I'll have lunch with you."

"What?"

"I said yes."

"Oh haha uh okay. Well, I'll see you then, Benson." Mordecai smiled and moved out the room as Benson went back to his paperwork. When he shut the door and headed downstairs, Mordecai raced down the steps to find Rigby.

He found the raccoon raking the leaves and he couldn't hide the grin on his face.

"Dude!"

Rigby looked up. "Hey man, how'd it go?"

"He said he would."

The raccoon smiled. "Good for you, dude. See, I knew you could do it."

Mordecai picked up a rake and started to sort his leaves into a pile. "Ah man, where should I take him? I hadn't really thought about that when I came up with the idea."

"The coffee shop?"

"Dude, seriously?"

"It's just lunch, not a date. You don't need to take him anywhere fancy."

"Yeah, you're right." Mordecai sighed, focusing on the job. "Should I wear something nice-"

"-It's just lunch."

"Okay."' Mordecai went quiet as they finished the chore, although his mind was still everywhere. They both filled the bags with leaves then went to the rubbish where they threw them in. Rigby put the rakes away and the two got the bucket and sponges to wash the Park truck. Mordecai filled up the bucket and Rigby stood near him, waiting.

"What time are you taking him to lunch?"

"He said he'll be done in a couple hours so...around 11:30-ish?"

"Alright."

Mordecai turned the tap off when the bucket was full and they went to the truck to start on their next job.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

When they'd almost finished, the duo heard the front door shut and they turned their heads to see Benson walking down the steps, whistling to himself.

"Is it already 11?" Mordecai asked in disbelief but Rigby just shrugged.

"Alright so, where're we going?" Benson asked as he walked up to the two. Mordecai began to break out in a sweat and he dropped the sponge and stepped away from the truck, trying to steady himself.

"W-Well, I was thinking just the coffee shop? I mean, if that's alright with you..."

Benson smiled. "That's fine, Mordecai."

"O-Okay..." Mordecai felt his stomach twist and he looked over at Rigby. "Hey dude, could you just finish this off?"

"Yeah, sure."

Mordecai breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good. He turned back to Benson and tried to smile. "Let's go then."

Benson nodded and started walking and as they went out the Park gates, Mordecai fell in step beside him. Thankfully, it wasn't a long walk and they made it to the cafe in only a few minutes. Mordecai told Benson to go take a seat while he took their order and when he went up to the counter, he started to realise what he was doing and his face went hot.

Margaret finished serving a customer and when she saw Mordecai, she smiled and went round to him.

"Hey Mordecai."

"He-Hey Margaret..."

The robin cocked an eyebrow. "You okay? You seem a bit...edgy."

"What? No I'm...I'm fine..." Mordecai glanced back to see where Benson was sitting and he let out a long breath. Margaret followed his gaze and when she saw him, her eyes widened.

"You did it?!"

Mordecai stared at her, his face reddening. "What?! No Margaret, I'm just taking him out to lunch."

The robin smiled. "Calm down, diaper boy." Mordecai flushed. "What can I get you?"

"Just a uh a basket of fries and one espresso and one flat white please." He said, handing her a couple of bills. She took them and after counting it out on the till, gave him the change.

"Coming right up." Margaret spun on her heel and walked off.

Mordecai watched her go then got off his seat and went over to where Benson'd chosen a booth. He slid in opposite him and smiled. "I ordered."

"Thanks."

The blue jay looked away, thinking. He willed his heart to slow and cleared his throat. Figuring small talk wasn't something Benson was really an 'expert' on, Mordecai looked back at him and opened his mouth.

"So uh have you ever been here?"

Benson looked around. "I don't think I have. I just bring my own lunch mostly."

"Oh, okay..."

Finally, their food came and Mordecai felt himself relax a bit. Margaret took the coffees and fries off the tray then winked at Mordecai before walking off. Fortunately Benson hadn't seen it. The blue jay went red and when he saw Benson look at him funny, he smiled crookedly.

"Uhh you alright, Mordecai? You look a bit red..."

"I'm fine Benson, don't worry..." Mordecai felt his skin prickle and he looked down at his coffee and his face flushed. Dammit Margaret...

Benson stared down at his own and he raised an eyebrow. "Um...does your coffee have a heart on the top?"

Mordecais eyes widened and he grabbed a stirrer. Leaning forward, he stirred Bensons coffee then fell back in his seat. "What heart? I don't see a heart." He began to stir his own and Benson stared at him.

"Mordecai-"

"-Yeah?"

Bensons forehead creased. "You sure you're okay?"

Realising he was still stirring his coffee, Mordecai stopped and put the stick on the table. "I'm fine Benson." He stole a quick glance at the counter to see Margaret serving someone and he suddenly got up.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go complain about your coffee." Mordecai turned and was about to walk off when Benson grabbed his wrist. The blue jays eyes went wide.

"No it's okay Mordecai. Just...sit back down."

Mordecai started to shake and he obediently sat back in his seat. "S-Sorry Benson, I just got carried away..."

"It's fine."

Mordecai grabbed a fry and started eating to help calm himself down. He saw Benson looking at him funny from the corner of his eye and he decided to ignore it.

Benson grabbed a stirrer. "Are you nervous because of Margaret? I mean I know you two broke it off a couple months ago but-"

"What?!" Mordecai looked at him sharply. "No, it's um it's officially over with us. We're just friends now."

"Oh okay." Benson slumped in his seat, holding his coffee.

"What about you?" Mordecai asked quickly and Benson looked at him, making the blue jay take another fry.

"Uhh...well." Benson thought. "There was Audrey but...me and her broke it off awhile ago. It just wasn't working out..." Benson shrugged and took a fry.

"Oh...of course." Mordecai cursed himself for asking. How could he forget that? The guys'd spent months trying to get Benson through the break up. He tried again. "Well...is there anyone...new?

Benson shook his head. "I'm not really looking for a relationship at the moment. I mean, with work and all, it'll just be too much to handle." He took his drink and went to take a sip.

Mordecai looked away, leaning back in his seat. "Oh...right, yeah that makes sense..."

Benson looked up from his coffee. "Mordecai?"

"Yeah?" The blue jay glanced at him and began to fiddle with his hands.

"You alright? You just seem a bit off..."

"I...I uhh..." Mordecai swallowed. When Benson didn't look away, he felt his stomach flip. "I think I got my order wrong." He blurted. "My coffee isn't what I ordered." He suddenly smiled. "But it's okay! It's kinda busy anyway so I don't want to bother her..." Mordecai let out a nervous laugh.

Benson lifted the cup to his mouth then suddenly put it down. "Ugh, it needs sugar..." His face twisted and he moved to grab a sugar packet on the table but Mordecai beat him to it.

"Uhh..." Mordecai ripped the top off and leaned forward to pour the sugar in Bensons coffee. "I'll do it..."

"Uh thanks, Mordecai..." Benson watched him then opened his mouth. "That's enough..."

Mordecai drew back, putting the packet on the table and Benson stirred his coffee. Mordecai watched him take a sip and the gumball machine smiled, making the blue jays cheeks flush. When Benson looked at him, Mordecai took his coffee and avoided his gaze. He reached for a chip but his hand touched something else...Mordecai looked at the basket to see his hand on Bensons, who'd reached for the chip at the same time, and he turned a dark red. "Oh uhh..." He slowly pulled his hand back. "You...you take it Benson. You reached for it first..."

"Ummm..." Benson took it and Mordecais stomach dropped. "T-Thanks..."

When Margaret finally came to collect their order, Mordecai excused himself and went to the bathroom. The robin watched him go, smiling slyly.

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

"Yeah, it was really good Margaret, thanks." Benson smiled.

"Oh you're welcome. So...did he tell you yet?"

Benson looked at her. "Tell me what?"

"That he likes y-"

"-Margaret hey!" The blue jay ran up to her and slid back in his seat. "Thanks for the meal. It was really good. And the hearts were a nice touch." He forced a smile and Margaret looked taken aback at the sudden interruption.

"Oh...well, it was my pleasure Mordecai." She winked again at the blue jay but this time, Benson saw. When she went away, the gumball machine looked at Mordecai.

"Why did she wink?"

"Uhh..."

"Mordecai, what's going on?"

The blue jay swallowed. "W-What'd you mean?"

"What I mean is that you've been acting weird since we got here."

"Have I?"

"Yes, you have."

Mordecai looked away. "I think we should go. You've probably got a lot of work to do..."

"Uhh okay?" Benson stood and followed Mordecai to the door. When they were outside, the heat in Mordecais face went down and he sighed as he walked alongside Benson.

"If something's bothering you, you can tell me." Benson looked up.

"It's uh it's fine Benson, really..."

Benson went quiet. "Thanks for lunch. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, n-no problem."

The two walked in silence for a while till the gumball machine spoke up again. "Oh I almost forgot. When you went to the bathroom, Margaret was telling me something..."

Mordecai went cold. "What was she telling you?"

"I can't...really remember now but...she was smiling about it..."

"Oh..." Mordecais stomach twisted and he felt sick. As they walked, he thought back to the past few days and remembered what everyone'd told him. Should he do it now? The blue jay glanced at Benson to see the gumball machines eyes ahead and his hands by his sides. He'd already made a mess at the coffee shop. This was nowhere near the perfect moment. But he had to do it. He looked away.

"Benson."

The gumball machine glanced his way. "Yeah?"

"I..." His mind started racing and he swallowed. "I um...I have something to tell you..."

"What is it?"

Mordecais heart started racing and he began to shake. His cheeks felt hot. "I...I kinda...oh look there's the park! Last one there's a loser!'

Benson watched Mordecai sprint off. "Mordecai, wait!" The gumball machine raced after him and when he got to the gate, he stood next to Mordecai, breathless. "What were you saying?"

"I..." Mordecai didn't look at him, doubled over as he tried to get his breath back. "I kinda li...like..." He straightened, his eyes on his boss and he watched Benson look up. "...you..." Mordecai finished.

Benson went red in an instant. "Is that why-"

"-Yeah..." Mordecai rubbed the back of his neck. "If I'd known that, then I wouldn't've ordered coffees..."

"No it's uh...that's okay, just um..." Benson looked at the blue jay, his face hot. "Well, I'm flattered Mordecai...but...I don't like you in that way..." He saw Mordecais face drop and he quickly added. "I mean you're a great guy Mordecai and anyone would be lucky to go out with you but...I just don't feel that way..."

"Oh um..."

"I'm sorry Mordecai-"

"-No it's fine, Benson." He tried to smile. "I kinda...expected it..." Mordecai shrugged and turned to the parks entrance. "You wanna have another race?"

Bensons stomach knotted when he heard Mordecai's tone and he looked away. "No thanks Mordecai. I'm okay."

Mordecai swallowed and nodded. "Okay..."

Benson wordlessly stepped past the blue jay and began walking ahead. Mordecai hung back and neither of them said a word before they got to the house.

"Thanks again, Mordecai." Benson smiled as he opened the door but Mordecai didn't look up. The gumball machine looked away and went to the stairs, the blue jay going to the lounge to find Rigby playing video games.

When he saw Mordecai, Rigby grinned. "Hey dude, how'd it g..." At seeing his expression, the raccoon slumped in his seat. "Not good?"

Mordecai sighed and threw himself down next to him. "I don't want to talk about it."

Rigby didn't press him further and continued playing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

**SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER IS BAD**

"Come on dude, cheer up." Rigby looked at the blue jay, smiling, but Mordecais eyes were on the ground as he raked his leaves into a small pile. "So Benson doesn't like you back. It's not like you had a chance with him anyway." The raccoon saw Mordecai fuming at him and his smile dropped. "Alright, I'm sorry. Look man, it bums me out to see you like this. You need to stop thinking about it and move on." The blue jay didn't reply and Rigby sighed. He dropped his rake and walked past him, making Mordecai turn.

"Where are you going?"

"Come with me."

"What, why? We need to finish raking the leaves!"

"We'll finish them after you've gotten over this."

Mordecai stared at him but the raccoon kept going. "Rigby, wait!" He threw his rake down and raced after him.

Benson was up in his office finishing off some paperwork. But he couldn't concentrate properly; he kept thinking about what'd happened after lunch, when Mordecai confessed to him. The gumball machine felt a pang of guilt when he remembered the blue jays face at hearing Benson reject him and he looked off to the side. After a few minutes of thinking, he sighed and pushed back his chair.

"Can't we just get back to work?" Mordecai asked tiredly

"No! We're not moving until you're happy."

"Rigby-"

"-No."

Mordecai sighed and looked back at the tv. "I'm not really in the mood to play video games."

"Well what'd you wanna do then?"

Mordecai opened his mouth to reply but Rigby's stomach growled.

"Sorry dude, I gotta use the can." Rigby jumped off the couch and walked off ."When I get back though, we're going to the arcade." He called as he exited the room. The blue jay slumped back in the couch and dropped the controller with a long sigh. He heard a door open upstairs but he didn't move.

"Hey Mordecai."

Mordecai turned and when he saw Benson halfway down stairs, he frowned. "Yeah?"

Benson hesitated, then looked up and smiled. "Do you want to...take a walk? I need to get some fresh air and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

Mordecai paused. "Uhh...sure?" He got up from the couch and walked over to the gumball machine. Grabbing a jacket from the coathanger, Mordecai turned the doorhandle and followed Benson outside.

Mordecai stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around. The path they'd taken was strangely quiet and neither'd said a word since they'd started walking. Finally, Benson cleared his throat.

"Listen Mordecai, I just want to apologise for shooting you down like that yesterday..."

"...Oh no Benson, it's okay, really." Mordecai tried to smile but Benson wasn't convinced.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Mordecai nodded but Benson raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine."

Benson looked away but didn't say anything. Despite getting it off his chest, he still wasn't fully convinced the blue jay was alright. They continued on in silence, Benson trying to process it all. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the branch in front of him till he felt his stomach flip and before he hit the ground, Mordecai grabbed his wrist.

"Benson, you okay?"

The gumball machine sighed as he steadied himself. "Yeah, I'm alright." He kicked it away with a frown. "Stupid branch."

They carried on till they made it back to the park house. Benson looked at Mordecai again.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, Benson, I'm fine." He smiled again. "Don't worry, I'll be okay."

"Alright..." Benson walked up the stairs and Mordecai fell in step beside him. They went inside and when the door shut, Rigby turned from the couch.

"Hey man, where were you? I thought we were gonna go to the arcade!"

Mordecai glanced at Benson, who'd stopped at the first step when he heard Rigbys voice. "We were but Benson asked me if I wanted to take a walk with him and I did..." Mordecai started to blush and Benson smiled then turned and walked upstairs. Rigby raised an eyebrow. "We'll go to the arcade tomorrow dude, I promise. But we gotta finish our work-"

"-Okay, okay, geez."

Mordecai waited for Rigby to get off the couch before going back outside. The door shut and the raccoon followed him back to where the rakes were, the leaves still in the pile where Mordecai'd left it. He picked up his rake and continued the job, but soon, Rigby piped up.

"Gee dude, I don't even need to try to cheer you up." He shook his head. "Benson just does it for me."

Mordecai suddenly stopped, his cheeks reddening. "What?"

"You know what I mean." When Mordecai didn't reply, Rigby scoffed. "I saw your face, dude."

"What?!" Mordecais eyes went wide.

Rigby turned to him. "You need to get over it."

"I am over it!" Mordecai said hotly, then he went quiet. "It's just..."

"What?"

"I...I really like Benson. I mean, I know he doesn't like me back but." Mordecai looked up at him, his expression bright. "There might still be a chance-"

"-Dude come on!"

"What?"

"A chance? He's not going to fall in love with you overnight."

Mordecais flushed. "I don't mean that."

"Well what do you mean?"

"I mean..." Mordecai paused to think before groaning in aggravation and going back to raking. "Ugh it doesn't matter. You wouldn't understand anyway."

Rigby frowned but didn't respond for a while. "Don't get your hopes man. That walk didn't mean anything."

Mordecai felt his body go hot and he stared at the raccoons back but Rigby didn't glance at him.

**I have seriously no clue on where to go from here. If any of you would give me some ideas, that'd be greatly appreciated c:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

**A/N I just want to thank StacyLynn and Gumballs1 for the inspiration for the next few chapters c: Also, I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I was just so stuck on what to write...**

When they'd finished raking the leaves, the two made their way back to the house. Once inside, they threw themselves on the couch and Mordecai switched their system on. After about 10 minutes of playing, Mordecai piped up.

"Hey, Rigby?"

The raccoon's tongue was out and his eyes were glued to the tv as he replied "Yeah...?"

"I was thinking that...since Benson offered me to take that walk with him then...maybe I should invite him to hang out with me sometime?"

"What?" Rigby stopped playing to look at the blue jay, who was staring at the screen.

"Yeah you know, I just thought that...since he asked if i wanted to hang out with him, I should ask him if he wanted to hang out with me..."

Rigby sighed. "You're kidding."

Mordecai stopped to look at the racoon. "What?"

"First of all, you guys didn't "hang out". Benson asked if you wanted to take a walk and you said yes. That's it. Second, why do you want to hang out with him anyway? I thought you were over it."

"I am, Rigby-"

"-Then why do you want to hang out with him?"

Mordecai went quiet and Rigby raised an eyebrow.

"Wait...is that that whole "chance" thing you were talking about?"

Mordecais face grew hot. "No it's not that "chance" thing." He said defensively then he looked away, shrugging. "I just thought it'd be a nice thing to do..."

Rigby folded his arms and scoffed. "Sure..."

The blue jay frowned at him but didn't say anything. Rigby went to pick up his control but he sighed and leaned back in the couch. "I think I'm gonna go to bed, dude." He yawned.

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda tired from not going to the arcade today."

"We're going tomorrow, I told you!"

Rigby jumped off the couch and headed for the stairs. "If you say so..."

Leaning forward, Mordecai switched the system off then went after the racoon. "What'd you mean?"

When Rigby didn't reply, Mordecai felt his stomach churn. He followed him up the stairs and into their room, where the racoon collapsed on his trampoline. Mordecai rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

The blue jay spat into the sink then turned the tap on to rinse it away. Turning it off, his eyes caught a glow on the floor in the hall and he left the bathroom to see where it was coming from. He followed it and discovered it was from Bensons office. He was still here? How much work did he have to do?

Mordecai swallowed and paused outside the door. He hesitated for a moment, then knocked but when he didn't hear a response, the blue jay twisted the doorknob slowly and walked in, his curiousity getting the better of him. Upon entering, his eyes first caught the clock on the wall that read "11:30pm" then traveled down to his boss' desk where he saw Benson'd collapsed from exhaustion, his head on the table, a pen next to his hand. A lamp was on his desk shining on his head. That must've been where the light was coming from...

Mordecai stopped and his eyes went wide. That's why he didn't hear anything.

"Benson?" He whispered.

The gumball machine stirred but didn't wake up. Mordecai bit his lip as he moved slightly closer.

"Benson?"

He suddenly jerked up and Mordecai jumped in surprise. The piece of paper Benson'd been writing on before he fell asleep'd stuck to his face and it fell in front of his eyes. Mordecai bit back a laugh as Benson reached up and pulled it off and it fell to the floor. He blinked tiredly and looked at the blue jay.

"What time is it?"

"11:30..."

Benson groaned. "I fell asleep didn't I?" He moved to switch the lamp light off, the light from the bathroom just reaching the office, giving them a little light.

Modecai nodded and Benson looked at the paper strewn on his desk. The gumball machine frowned. "I have so much to do..." He muttered then he sighed wearily, turning his head to the blue jay. "Thanks for waking me up, Mordecai."

"No problem, Benson. You're not going to stay to finish your work are you?"

"No...no, I'll do it tomorrow." Benson yawned and pushed his chair back. He stood and Mordecai saw the bags under his eyes, making him look away.

The gumball machine went to the door and grabbed his coat. As he shrugged it on, Mordecai heard his apartment keys jingle in his pocket. Benson stepped out of his office and waited for the blue jay to follow before turning and shutting the door.

He sighed and wiped a hand across his face. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mordecai."

"Night, Benson."

Benson waved a hand goodbye as he turned to the stairs. Mordecai went to go back to the bathroom but he stopped and looked up. "You gonna be alright driving home?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

Mordecai watched him leave then nodded before heading to the bathroom. He switched the light off then went back to his and Rigbys room. Throwing himself on his bed, he pulled the covers up and closed his eyes, listening to the racoons snores before falling asleep. The last thing he heard was the front door open then shut and he smiled.

"Alright, we've got a lot to do today so listen up..."

Mordecai felt a pang of sympathy when he noticed the way Benson was holding himself upright but it was gone when he felt a nudge in his side.

"We're still going to the arcade after work, right?"

Mordecai nodded and he saw Rigby eyeing him. "You haven't ditched me for Benson again?" He asked, his tone unsure.

The blue jay frowned and looked away. "...No man, I haven't."

"Alright, just checking."

Mordecai sighed and waited for Benson to read out their jobs for the day, trying to ignore Rigby looking at him. His stomach twisted when he looked back at Benson again and the racoon saw his expression change. He followed his gaze and when he picked up on it, he scoffed.

Mordecai scooped up a pile of wet leaves and threw it into the bucket. "Hey man, can you just hose this off?"

"Oh, sure man."

The blue jay watched the water run down the gutter before gathering another pile. "What'd you think I should do?"

"About what?"

"About asking Benson to hang out with me."

Rigby groaned. "I don't know dude! Just...take him somewhere?"

"Like where?"

"Anywhere, I don't care."

Mordecai frowned. "Thanks, Rigby."

Rigby sighed and switched the hose off. "Look man, I know how much you like Benson, but you gotta let this go. He doesn't like you. Move on."

"It's not like that!"

"What is it then?"

Mordecai fell silent. "I just...want to hang out with him, you know. Get to know him a bit..."

"Really?"

"Yeah." When Mordecai saw the racoons expression, he threw his hands up, flinging bits of leaves on the roof. "I'm serious!"

Rigby watched him for a moment. ". . .It's not one of those "friendzone" things is it?"

"Oh my gosh. . ." Mordecai shook his head, sighing. "No Rigby, it's not."

Rigby turned the hose back on. "Okay, if you say so..."

Mordecai ignored him as he dropped another pile of leaves in the bucket.

The blue jay climbed down the ladder with the bucket in hand. With Rigby following, he went over to a nearby bin and tipped the bucket upside down into it then passed it to the racoon, taking off his gloves after he did so. Rigby washed the bucket and gloves then went to the side of the house and wrapped the hose back up. Mordecai folded the ladder up as he waited for him.

When he was done, he followed Mordecai to the shed to put the equipment away then turned to the blue jay with a grin. "Alright, arcade time!"

"Yeah-yuh!"

The duo OOOOHH'd then headed to the arcade, both of them laughing.

[ I didn't really know how to write the arcade part so I'm just going to skip it, haha ]

The front door opened wide about an hour later and Mordecai emerged, his mouth curled into a smile with an annoyed Rigby following.

"That game was rigged, man, I swear."

Mordecai rolled his eyes. "Sure, keep telling yourself that, dude..." He snickered, making the racoon fold his arms.

"Oh yeah, like you're an expert."

They flopped on the couch, Mordecai starting to grin.

"Well I'm a lot better than you at air hockey, that's for sure."

The blue jay held back a laugh as Rigby effortlessly punched him in the arm. "I already told you it was rigged."

"They don't rig air hockey, man. Face it, you just suck."

"It's cause I'm short isn't it?"

Mordecai paused to "think". "Nah dude, you just suck."

Rigby growled and punched Mordecai again, the blue jay letting out a laugh.

A door upstairs opened then closed, making Mordecai's laughter begin to die down. He snickered at the fuming racoon then turned to see Benson come down the stairs and go to the door.

"Hey, Benson."

The gumball machine stopped. "Oh, hey Mordecai."

"You didn't fall asleep this time?" The blue jay asked jokingly and Benson looked at him, surprised at the question.

When it started to register, he smiled a little. "I didn't have much to finish."

Mordecai smiled back, nodding. There was a short pause, till the blue jay suddenly looked up, remembering something. "Actually Benson, there was something I wanted to ask you."

The gumball machine tilted his head. "Yeah?"

"I uh..." He could see Rigby looking at him from the corner of his eye and he swallowed, keeping his gaze on Benson. Trying to keep his tone casual, he waved a hand. "I was wondering if you, you know if you're not busy an' all, if you...wanted to hang out tomorrow? When we've both finished our work I mean..."

Benson glanced at Rigby in confusion, taken aback at the blue jays offer. He paused in thought, musing it over. "Oh um...I...I'll think about it, Mordecai, but I appreciate the offer, really." He smiled at his employee then reached for the doorknob. "Night, guys."

When the door shut, Mordecai fell back on the couch, grinning.

"Tomorrow?

"What?" Mordecai looked at the racoon innocently.

"Who am I gonna hang out with tomorrow if you're hanging out with Benson?" Rigby gestured to the door, his expression pissed.

"I don't know man." Mordecai shrugged as he picked up his controller.

"Muscle Man?"

"Dude, come on."

Mordecai glanced at Rigby and caught him frowning at the blue jay. He let out an exasperated sigh. "What's your problem?"

"My problem is you being in denial that you're not over this crush!"

"I already told you I am-"

"-Then why do you keep hanging out with Benson?"

"I already told you this this afternoon."

Rigby folded his arms. "Right. You want to get to know him."

"Yeah."

Mordecai reached for the other control and offered it to the racoon, but Rigby shook his head. "I'm gonna go to bed." He said flatly before avoiding Mordecai's eyes and jumping off the couch.

Mordecais eyes went wide. "Aw come on dude."

He watched Rigby walk up the stairs then looked back at the tv with a heavy sigh. When the bedroom door shut, Mordecai felt a rock settle in his stomach and he leaned forward to switch the system off. Grabbing the remote, he turned the tv off then stood from the couch and went to the stairs.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

"Look, I'm sorry alright? I'll hang out with you tomorrow, I promise."

Rigby didn't even glance up and Mordecai sighed. A heavy silence followed till they finished but even then, Rigby didn't say a word as they dragged the full bags to the golf cart. Mordecai put the rakes in next to them then got in the drivers seat.

"You can stop giving me the silent treatment, dude. This is the last time I'll hang out with Benson. Then we can just go back to normal." He glanced over at Rigby but the racoons eyes were out the window and Mordecai breathed another tired sigh. He stopped in front of the bins and after Mordecai threw the last bag in, he saw Rigby look up in curiosity.

"Really?"

Mordecai smiled from relief that Rigby was talking to him again. "Yeah, man."

Rigby grinned and Mordecai felt a weight lift from his shoulders. "We still gotta weed the garden." He reminded as they walked back to the cart and Rigbys grin fell.

"Ugh..."

* * *

><p>Rigby brushed himself off and wiped the remaining sweat from his brow as they drove back to the house. Man, I hate weeding the garden."<p>

"Yeah, well, at least it's done." Mordecai replied calmly.

"...Still hate it though."

Mordecai smiled. "Yip."

They parked in front of the garage and Mordecai cut the engine. The two got out and Rigby followed the blue jay into the house.

Mordecai moved to the stairs but stopped when he put his hand on the bannister and he turned to look at Rigby. "Hey, dude-" He started but Rigby nodded.

"I'll be in the kitchen." He smiled briefly at Mordecai before walking off.

Mordecai turned back and went up, his stomach twisting in knots. Benson hadn't even accepted his offer yet. What if he said no? Mordecai swallowed, trying to push the thoughts to the back of his mind. He hesitated outside the door before knocking firmly then slowly turning the doorknob. When he heard nothing, he pushed it open to see Bensons head down as he scribbled something down on a piece of paper, his other hand punching numbers into a calculator and his heart began to sink.

"H-Hey, Benson. . ."

"If it's a pay rise, forget it." Benson murmured. "We're already knee deep in payments for park damages..." He kept his eyes on the paper.

Mordecai reached up to hold the back of his neck, his cheeks going a light pink. "I uh. . .I didn't come up here for a pay rise. . ."

"Mordecai." Benson paused to look up then went back to his work. "Oh I didn't know it was you..."

"Yeah um...I just came up here to ask you if...if you wanted to...take me up on my offer...?"

"Which was...?

Mordecai let out a nervous laugh. "If you...wanted to hang out...today...? He asked carefully as he watched Benson tap a few digits in. Just as he was about to press the equal button, Mordecai saw his shoulders slump and his boss closed his eyes.

"Look Mordecai, I do appreciate the offer but..." He leaned back to gesture to the papers on his desk and Mordecai got the hint.

"Oh...yeah, yeah okay..." He couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice and Benson bit his lip. "I'll just leave you to it then..."

Benson glanced at the paperwork then shook his head, not quite believing what he was about to do. Looking up, he hesitated as he watched the blue jay walk out.

"I might be able to get it done by tonight though so. . ."

Mordecai spun around, his face bright. "Really?"

Benson tried to hide his smile at hearing his employees excitement and he nodded, going back to the paper. "Yeah..."

Mordecai grinned. "I was thinking that we could go to the movies. There's a late night screening to the one I picked. Just whenever you're finished." He turned back to the doorway and walked out. Benson glanced up and he bit back an amused smile when he noticed a slight spring in his employees step.

* * *

><p>"So do I have to hang out with Muscle Man?"<p>

Mordecai shook his head as he rummaged in the fridge for lunch and Rigby looked at him in surprise.

"What'd you mean? Did Benson say no?"

"Well..."

Mordecai brought over a plate of PB&J's and put it on the table. Sitting across from Rigby, he took one.

"He's got too much to do today but he said that be might be able to get it done by tonight so..." He bit into it. "We may be going out later..."

"Aw sweet!" Rigby grabbed his own and took a bite. "So does that mean we can hang out today?"

"Yip."

"Awesome!"

Mordecai laughed and swallowed his mouthful. Just as he was about to take another bite, he saw Rigby stop.

"What are you guys doing tonight anyway?"

"We're gonna go see a movie."

Rigby raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes." He noticed the racoons face and he frowned. "What?"

"Oh nothing, nothing. It's just that...well..."

"What, man?"

Rigby pretended to look at his fingernails. "It sounds to me like you're trying to get with Benson."

"What?!" Mordecais eyes widened and he put his sandwich down. "Dude, no. I already told you that I-"

"-I know man but..." He shrugged. "I'm just saying..."

"Well, I'm not okay?"

"Yeah, okay..." Rigby bit into his sandwich, looking away. Mordecai huffed and he waited to finished his sandwich before pushing his chair back.

"What'd you wanna do today?"

Rigby finished his lunch, then looked at him. "I could go for a coffee and a donut..."

* * *

><p>The duo slumped on the couch, staring at the tv. Mordecai snickered and Rigby glared at him. He swiftly kicked the blue jay in the shin but that only made Mordecai hold back a laugh.<p>

"It's not funny, dude." Rigby muttered.

"It was hilarious! I'm surprised you managed to get a date with her after your "brilliant" flirting."

"Yeah, thanks to you."

"Not my fault she has a crush on you."

Mordecai stifled a laugh. "Seriously though, you should never try flirting again. Although it was funny, it was also really really bad to watch."

"Thanks dude, really." Rigby said drily.

Mordecai smiled. "At least you have something to do tonight instead of lying around the house waiting for me to get back."

"Yeah."

Mordecai sat up when he heard a door open upstairs and he looked at Rigby frantically. "How does my hair look?"

Rigby gave him a deadpan look.

"What?"

"Hey Mordecai, you ready?"

Mordecai turned to see Benson standing near the door. He saw his boss was smiling but there were heavy bags under his eyes. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

"Y-yeah, I'm ready." Mordecai glanced at the racoon. "Good luck on your date tonight." He whispered before he got up and went over to Benson. He heard a "you too" from Rigby and he felt his face warm.

"What time's the screening?" His boss asked.

"9:45. What time is it now?"

Benson pulled his jacket sleeve back to check his watch. "9:31."

Mordecai opened the door and let Benson walk past before giving Rigby a look and following his boss down the steps. Rigby sat back on the couch, groaning. "It's gonna be a long night."

* * *

><p>Benson opened his car door and got in. He started the ignition as Mordecai got in the passenger side, putting his belt on. Benson shifted into drive then backed down and went out the park gates.<p>

"I know I've already said this, Mordecai, but I really do appreciate you taking me out." Benson said as he slowly braked at a stop light. "I've needed a break for a while."

A smile tugged at the jays lips. "Oh well, you're welcome, Benson. Sorry that it had to be late though. I mean, I'm sure you'd want to be at home right now..."

"No, no it's fine. I'm sure this'll be a lot more fun than staying at home." He eased his foot off then made a left turn. "What movie are we seeing anyway?"

"It's called 'Won Over by You'"

"What's it about?"

Mordecais cheeks burned. "Oh um...you'll find out..." He said as they pulled into the car park.

Benson gave him a wary look but Mordecai was already opening his door. Deciding not to push it, Benson switched the car off and opened his own door, stepping out in the air. He followed Mordecai to the booth and browsed the movie posters as he waited for him to pay for the tickets.

"Hi uh two tickets for Won Over by You, please?" Mordecai handed over the cash and he leaned against the counter as the checkout woman printed them out. He looked up at the candy shelf behind her and he pushed himself off. "Can I um..." The women glanced up at him. "Can I also get a medium popcorn and two sodas please?" He pulled out another few dollars and handed them over.

Benson walked up with a smile, just as the woman was filling up the cups, the box of popcorn already sitting on the counter. His eyes went wide when he saw it and he grabbed out his wallet.

"What're you doing?"

Benson counted out the amount. "Paying you back."

"What? No, Benson. This is my treat. Besides, you didn't pay me back for lunch."

Bensons cheeks went pink. "Oh crap, I forgot." He flipped through more dollars.

"Benson, it's fine. You don't have to pay me back."

Benson put the money back, eyeing Mordecai carefully. "Really?"

Mordecai gave him a warm smile. "Yeah, man. It's all on me."

Benson took the box of popcorn while Mordecai took the sodas. They found the door and went in, enclosing themselves in darkness; the previews'd already started. Mordecai managed to find their seats from the light from the screen and they sat down with the box between them.

When the title screen flashed up, Benson sighed. "Is this a romantic comedy?"

"...Maybe."

* * *

><p>Secretly, Benson had a likeness for romantic comedies and he found himself laughing along with his employee through most of it. Reaching into the popcorn bucket, his hand brushed Mordecai's and he drew it out quickly. Through the light, he could see the jays face'd turned a light red.<p>

"S-sorry, Benson." He whispered.

"It's okay..." Benson whispered back before slowly reaching in the bucket again and grabbing some. He felt his heart thudding in his chest and he tried to get back into the film to ignore it.

By the end of the movie, Benson had tears streaming down his cheeks and he hastily wiped them away just as the lights turned back on. But Mordecai'd seen and he smiled faintly.

"You too huh?"

"Wha-? Benson turned to look at the jay and when he saw the tear stains on the jays cheeks, he blushed. "Y-yeah..."

"Don't worry man, I won't tell." Mordecai picked up the empty box as he stood but that only made Benson go redder. He grabbed his soda and followed Mordecai to the door, throwing his empty cup in the bin as the jay threw the box in. When the door opened, Benson blinked against the light.

"Ugh, it's so bright." He muttered as he followed Mordecai out the door. They got into the warmth of the car and Benson started the ignition.

"Did you like the movie?" Mordecai asked with a smile.

Benson made a right. "It was...good." He paused as he eased to a stop when the light turned yellow. "I can't believe she got with the guy she just met though. He was such a jerk."

Mordecai threw out his hands. "But he was so right for her!"

"Well, yeah." The light turned green and Benson drove on. "But she should've gotten to know him first."

"She got to know him through the movie. It worked out. And anyway, he was only a jerk when she first met him."

They fell into a comfortable silence as Benson drove up to the front of the park. "You know, I actually had fun." He turned to the jay, his eyes bright. "Thanks again, Mordecai."

"It's no problem." He smiled. "Night, Benson." Mordecai moved to go but he was stopped with a hand on his arm.

"Uh Mordecai?"

"Yeah?"

Benson hesitated as he put his hand back on the wheel. "I uh...I've liked spending time with you..." He admitted, his cheeks reddening. "We should do this again sometime..."

Mordecai's eyes widened. "Oh uh...y-yeah, we should..."

Benson forehead creased and he looked at his employee, confused. "You okay?"

"Wha- yeah, Benson I'm fine." He swallowed and decided to change the subject. "It's getting pretty late..."

"Yeah, I should be getting home." Benson let out a tired sigh and tapped the wheel. "Well, goodnight Mordecai."

Mordecai shut the door and stood back as Benson did a U-turn and drove to his apartment. The blue jay waited till the car'd disappeared down the road before groaning and turning back to the park. As he walked back, he felt his gut wrench. How was he going to explain this to Rigby?

None of the lights were on in the house, making Mordecai breath a relieved sigh. Maybe he didn't have to explain it to him.

He walked up the steps and opened the door, the silence enveloping him. As he went upstairs, he heard snoring coming from their bedroom and he smiled as he pushed the door open.

Just as he got into bed, he heard Rigby stir and he slowly closed his eyes to sleep-

"Hey man, how'd the date go?"

Mordecai felt his face warm and he sighed. "It wasn't a date, dude."

"Fine. How'd the "pretend date" go?"

The blue jay moved on his side so he was facing Rigby. "It was...good."

"Just good?"

"Yeah." Mordecai shrugged even though Rigby couldn't see. "Nothing else really happened..." His stomach dropped at the lie. "How'd your date with Eileen go?"

"We're going out tomorrow night." You could practically hear the smile in Rigbys voice.

Mordecais eyes went wide and he sat up. "What?!"

"Yeah man. I worked my charm and scored a second date with her."

"Your charm?" Mordecai scoffed.

"No one can resist it."

Mordecai frowned. "Uh huh..." He slipped back under the covers with a sigh.

"Are you gonna hang out with Benson tomorrow?"

The blue jays stomach flipped. This was actually working out. "I guess..." He shrugged casually.

"Okay."

Mordecai rolled on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Hey dude-"

He was cut off by Rigbys loud snores and he shook his head. Moving onto his side, he let his eyes close as he drifted off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"So where're you taking Eileen tonight?" Mordecai asked as he cleaned the side of the truck.

Rigby rung out the sponge and shrugged. "I was thinking that we could just order a couple pizzas and crash at her place."

Mordecai nodded. "That sounds good."

"And we're gonna stay up playing video games and watching movies and-aw man, it's gonna be awesome!" Rigby did a little dance and Mordecai stifled a laugh as he threw his sponge in the bucket of water.

"I think we're done, dude." He looked the truck over then directed his attention to Rigby who was still dancing. "You wanna go to the coffee shop so you can talk to Eileen?"

Rigby stopped with a grin on his face. "Yeah, man."

When they got there, Rigby went straight to Eileen to talk to her about tonight whereas Mordecai slid into a stool in front of Margaret. Thankfully the cafe was empty, so the girls had more time to talk to them.

Margarets eyes widened and her face was flushed with happiness when she saw Mordecais expression. "You told him?!"

"Yeah, I did...but he said he didn't like me back."

Margarets smile fell. "Oh Mordecai, I'm sorry."

"It's okay though." Mordecai reassured. "I've been hanging out with him for the past few days so..." His voice trailed off when he saw Margaret was giving him a look he couldn't pick up on and he frowned. "What?"

"Has he said anything to you?" She asked eagerly, her smile tugging at her lips again.

"What'd you mean?"

Margaret put her hands on the counter and leaned forward. "I mean, has he been, you know, sending you any signs or anything?"

"What?! Margaret, what the heck?"

"Well, you two have been spending some time together so something's bound to spark between you soon." She shrugged but Mordecai only stared at her. "Remember what happened with us?

"Okay, first of all, stop bringing us up. Second, Benson's already told me he's not interested in me that way-"

"-Unless you're trying to make him like you." She frowned. "Are you pulling a Mordecai again?"

"What?!" Mordecais mouth fell open. "That isn't a thing!"

"Yeah it is, dude." Rigby chimed in.

Mordecai gave him a heated glare. "It is not!" He turned back to the robin. "And I am NOT trying to make Benson like me." He lowered his tone. "I just like hanging out with him."

Margaret opened her mouth but she froze when Mordecai continued.

"And..." The blue jays cheeks reddened. "And he said he liked hanging out with me..."

Rigby stopped and both him and Eileen stared at him. Margarets eyes widened again and her smile began to grow.

"What?"

"When did this happen dude?!" Rigby protested, grinning. Eileen smiled at him but Mordecai just looked up at Margaret who was nodding.

"You're in denial." She said simply.

"WHAT?"

"Face it, Mordecai. You still have feelings for Benson." Mordecai's jaw dropped. It sounded crazy coming from someone else. "And by the sounds of it, Bensons starting to have feelings for you."

Mordecais head was swimming and he stood, his knees buckling beneath him. "I'm going back to the park."

The door to the cafe shut and the two watched Mordecai till he disappeared before looking at eachother.

"He's totally in denial." Margaret stated and Rigby and Eileen nodded in agreement.

"I can't believe her!" Mordecai threw his hands up. "Why does she have to act like she knows everything? Just because I hang out with him, doesn't mean I like him." He groaned as he walked through the gates. "And Benson doesn't like me like that. There's no WAY he does."' Mordecai climbed the steps and went in the house. Throwing himself on the sofa, he sighed and tried to calm himself down.

20 minutes later, the front door slammed shut but Mordecai didn't bother turning around to see who it was. He didn't need to anyway.

"Man what happened to you? You were pretty pissed back there." Rigby wore a huge grin as he sat down next to the blue jay.

"I'm not in denial, man. And Benson doesn't like me in that way."

Rigby guffawed. "How can you lie to yourself?!"

"I'm not lying!"

"You sure dude? Cause it kinda sounds like you are."

"UGH!" Mordecai stood and stormed to the kitchen. "Just leave me alone Rigby. Have fun on your date with Eileen." He said drily.

The racoons grin dropped. "Have fun mordelying to yourself!" Rigby threw back harshly. Mordecais body went limp as he fell back in a chair and he placed his head in his hands, sighing.

The kitchen door opened a few minutes later. "Hey Mordecai? I just want to apologise for acting like a jerk before." The blue jay didn't lift his head as Rigby quietly walked over to him. "If you hate me, I understand."

Mordecai sighed again as he took his hands away, but he didn't look at the racoon. "I don't hate you man." Rigby smiled a bit. "And I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's okay dude. This stuff happens."

Mordecai finally looked at Rigby, starting to smile. "Really though, have fun on your date, man."

"Thanks, Mordecai."

The blue jay pushed himself off and followed Rigby back to the lounge. "Oh and by the way, he told me last night." He said as he sat back on the couch.

Rigby paused. "Do you think he likes you in that way?"

Mordecai let out a long breath. "I don't know, man." He admitted quietly. "I don't think he does..."

* * *

><p>Rigby checked himself in the bathroom mirror as he combed back his hair. He turned when a knock sounded at the door.<p>

"Come on man! You gotta be at Eileens place in 10 minutes!"

"You can't rush perfection dude!"

Mordecai hit his head on the wood in exasperation, glancing at his watch with a groan. Finally, the door opened and Mordecai stepped away.

"Alright, I'm out, geez."

Mordecai shut the door and followed Rigby downstairs. "You ready?"

"I think so."

The duo exited the house and got into a golf cart. When they got to Eileens house, Mordecai smiled.

"Good luck, Rigby."

The racoon gave him a brief smile. "Thanks, dude." He jumped out the cart and Mordecai turned around and drove back to the park.

He edged up the driveway and killed the ignition, lying back in the seat for a moment when something hit him. Crap, he hadn't planned on what him and Benson could do! But what was even worse was that he hadn't even told Benson he was hanging out with him! Mordecai shut his eyes and willed himself not to bang his head on the horn in aggravation. Instead he pulled himself off the seat and went into the house.

He decided to flick channels for awhile, just until Benson'd finished his work. "Ugh, there's nothing on..." Mordecai threw the remote next to him and his eyes caught him and Rigbys system. Leaning forward, he switched it on, although he didn't really know why; video games weren't really fun without Rigby...

He played for a couple minutes but he realised that his heart wasn't into it and he cast the control aside. Sighing, he sank back in the couch, staring at the screen.

When he heard a door shut upstairs, he sat up. He waited to hear the faint rattle of gumballs before turning slightly around to see Benson descend the stairs and go to open the door-

"Benson."

Benson stopped and he turned, a tired smile on his face. "Oh, hey Mordecai." He sounded worn out but Mordecai held up a controller.

"You wanna play with me?"

Benson glanced beside the blue jay. "Where's Rigby?"

"He's hanging out with Eileen." Mordecai pouted as he waved the control. "Please Benson?"

Benson blinked in surprise then shook his head. "No, sorry Mordecai, but I gotta get home..."

"Please?"

The gumball machine hesitated but he reached for the doorknob. "I really gotta get back home."

"Come on Benson, just one quick game. Then you can go home."'

Benson looked from the door to his employee. Finally, he let his shoulders relax. "Alright, you win." Mordecai turned back around as Benson walked up and sat next to him.

"Man I haven't played video games in ages!" Bensons face lit up at the sudden nostalgia as he took the control from Mordecai and the blue jay felt himself smile. "What are we playing?"

"X-treme X-scape. It's a pretty straight forward game, so you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly."

Mordecai started to show Benson the controls for the game and he watched Benson play for about a minute before jumping in the game himself.

About a half hour went past and Benson was beating Mordecai by a mile. "Wow Benson, you're really good!"

Benson gave a shy smile. "Yeah, well, I used to play video games a lot before I was promoted to park manager, but that story's for another day." He grinned at the memory then yawned. "I better go, Mordecai. It's getting late."

"Can't you stay here?"

"No, no, I gotta get home." Benson made a move to stand but Mordecai grabbed his wrist.

"Come on Benson. You can just sleep on the couch. Besides, you're too tired to drive home."

Benson looked at Mordecais hand around his wrist and the blue jay pulled it back, going red. "S-sorry..."

The gumball machine let out a weary sigh and collapsed on the couch. "I guess you're right..." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. Mordecai sat back in the couch with a sigh, but he froze up when he felt Bensons head fall on his shoulder.

"Uhh Benson?" But there was no point; he was out to it.

Mordecai's face flushed and he gently moved Bensons head back on the couch but it fell back on his shoulder. He stood up and, holding Bensons head, he carefully lowered it onto the couch arm. Mordecai raced upstairs for a pillow and spare blanket and he managed to find both in the guest room. He brought them both back to Benson who was snoring softly and placed the pillow under his head.

After he lay the blanket on him, he stepped back. The longer he stayed there, the more he felt a blush creep up his cheeks. Maybe he was in denial...

Shaking his head, he looked at the clock; Rigby'd be getting home in about a couple hours so he had a lot of time to kill. Mordecai looked back at Benson and he sighed. Edging around the couch, he headed to the stairs and went up to his room to wait for Rigby.

* * *

><p>The bedroom light switched on and Mordecai blinked furiously against the glare. When he couldn't take it, he pulled the blanket over his eyes.<p>

"Man, Eileen has a good taste in movies." Rigby peeled off his jacket and threw it in his pile of clothes.

"You had a good time?"

"I had an awesome time! Hanging out with Eileen is a lot of fun, dude." The racoon switched off the light and threw himself on his trampoline.

"That's great, Rigby." Mordecai moved the cover off him and closed his eyes.

"Oh yeah I forgot to ask. Why's Benson on the couch?"

"He was too tired to drive home."

"What'd you and Benson do anyway?"

Mordecai sighed. "We played video games."

"Wait, Benson played with you?"

"Yeah and he's actually really good." Mordecai smiled but Rigby just shook his head.

"Since when did he play video games?"

"He told me he used to play them a lot before he became the park manager."

Rigby went quiet as he tried to get comfy. "Huh, I didn't think Benson'd be so open about that stuff..."

"Yeah..."

* * *

><p>When Mordecai went downstairs the next morning, he was surprised to find Benson already sitting down at the table with a coffee in hand.<p>

"Hey, Benson." The blue jay moved to the cupboard to find something for breakfast. Bringing out a box of cereal, he grabbed the milk from the fridge and a spoon and bowl from a separate cupboard. "What time'd you wake up?"

Mordecai sat across from him and began pouring the cereal in the bowl as Benson checked his watch. "About 40 minutes ago."

"Did you have a good sleep?"

"It was okay. The sofa's surprisingly comfortable."

Mordecai swallowed his spoonful. "You were pretty tired last night, man. You just crashed."

"I did?" Benson paused. "I don't even remember."

Mordecai smiled but didn't reply. Soon, Rigby ambled downstairs and sauntered into the kitchen. When he saw their boss, he gave the blue jay a knowing look, remembering their conversation yesterday, and sat next to him, grabbing a bowl for himself. Just as he started eating, Benson put the newspaper on the table to look at the two.

"Meeting starts at 9. Don't be late." He told them. He put his mug down then pushed back his chair and went to the stairs, leaving the duo to finish off their breakfast in silence. When they'd finished, Mordecai put the cereal and milk back while Rigby put the bowls in the sink.

**I just headcanon Margaret as being a hopeless romantic, haha**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

**I am SO PROUD of this chapter :D And I'm sorry for the late update; it was difficult to write this one since I spent ages finding a song and I honestly didn't feel like finishing this hahaha BUT it's done and I'm really happy with it cx **

**I don't own the song "All the Small Things" by Blink-182 (duh...)**

Mordecai smiled when he heard Rigby groan a few stalls away.

"Uggghh..."

"Come on dude, cleaning the toilets isn't that bad."

"Are you serious? It's like, the worst job in the park!"

Mordecai looked down at the toilet he was cleaning and he caught a whiff of the stench, making his face screw up. "It's not the worst job...but yeah, it's pretty bad."

Rigby sighed and Mordecai heard him scrubbing the bowl despite his complaints. A couple of minutes later, a toilet flushed and a brush was dropped.

"Can we take a break now? I'm tired of this job."

Mordecai reached up to flush the cleaner down. He stood up, sighing as he dropped his brush in the bucket next to him. "Yeah, alright." He exited his stall to find Rigby leaning against a sink and he pushed himself up to sit on a counter.

After some silence, Rigby spoke up. "Oh man, I forgot to tell you. I'm hanging out with Eileen tonight."

"Aw what?"

Rigby turned. "What?"

"Does that mean I'll have to hang out with Benson again?"

The racoon raised an eyebrow. "Yeah...? Why, does that bother you? To hang out with your crush again?"

"No it doesn't bother me." Mordecai defended hotly. "And I told you, I'm over it." Then he looked away, nervous. "I just...well..." Slowly, he looked back at Rigby. "Do you think I'm getting too..."friendly" with him?"

". . .What?"

"You know..." Mordecai shrugged. "Cause I've been hanging out with him a lot..."

Rigbys eyes narrowed in confusion. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah...?

"Mordecai, you and Benson are friends. You both hang out together. You're not getting "too friendly" with him."

"Yeah, but-"

"-And plus, Benson likes hanging out with you, so it's fine." He took one look at the doubtful expression on the jays face before rolling his eyes. "Look man, think of it this way; if Benson thought you were being too forward with you offering to take him wherever, he would've said something by now."

"But what if he says something tonight-?"

"-He won't. He likes spending time with you so there's a huge chance he'll say yes."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, man, trust me."

Mordecai leaned his head against the glass, sighing. Rigby looked away from him as he folded his arms.

". . .You sure I'm not being too forward-?"

"-I'm gonna go dump my head in the toilet." Rigby walked over to one of the stalls as Mordecai jumped off the counter.

"Come on, man!"

* * *

><p>The duo took about 45 minutes to finish the job before they headed back to the park. Throwing themselves on the couch, they set up their system and played, only pausing to grab sodas and snacks from the kitchen.<p>

"What are you and Eileen doing tonight?"

"I think she wants to show me her astrology books." Rigby shrugged. "What about you and Benson?"

Mordecai winced. "I-It depends if he's done with work..."

"Do you know what you're doing if you do end up hanging out with him?"

"I don't know, man. I'm kinda...out of ideas..."

"Hmm..." Rigby paused the game to think. "Take him bowling?"

"Nah..."

"The club?"

"What? Why would I take him to a club?"

"Hey, I'm just throwing ideas out here." Rigby snapped his fingers. "Pizza dinner?"

Mordecai sighed. "I'll think about it later."

The racoon pressed play on his control as he shrugged again. "Alright, man."

* * *

><p>"So I'm not being too forward?"<p>

"Nah dude." Rigby rounded the couch and stood with his arms out. "How do I look?"

"Uhh...like you always do?"

"Cool, I can go then. Thanks man." Rigby went to the door as Mordecai watched him leave. When the front door shut, Mordecai sunk back into the couch and switched on the tv, deciding to flip channels till he found something he could tolerate watching.

"_Ugh, where am I gonna take Benson?"_ He thought to himself. "_Rigby's ideas sucked and I still don't know..."_

Just then, as he was flipping, his eyes caught something familiar on the screen and he stopped. With a frown, he watched the commercial play out, remembering Pops weird rendition of Footloose and the tape that still left a bad taste in his mouth even years after the incident.

When Benson and the others found out what was on it, they were anything but understanding and the duo were given weeks worth of backbreaking labour and no one would talk to them for days.

Mordecai shook his head at the memory, fading back to the present. The advert had ended and it was now one for a fast food place downtown. Mordecai switched the tv off and pondered the thought for awhile. Should he? Benson wasn't one for karaoke, he assumed, but it wouldn't hurt to try, would it? Plus, he _had _run out of ideas...

Pushing the doubt from his mind, Mordecai stood and headed to the stairs, going up to Bensons office. He gave a soft knock then turned the doorknob, seeing his boss at his desk, his head lowered.

"Hey, Benson."

The gumball machine glanced up and when he went back to his work, the jay saw a small smile on his lips. "Hey, Mordecai."

"Uh...I was wondering if you...were able to hang out tonight?"

Benson stopped and raised his head again, making Mordecai's eyes go wide and he began to stammer.

"I-I mean, if you're finishing your work. Cause if you've got a lot to do then it's fine! Totally fine. I understand." Mordecai gave a strained smile then moved to go, but Benson opened his mouth.

". . .What'd you have in mind?"

A blush creeped up Mordecais face when he turned back. "Oh! Well, I-I was thinking...maybe..." He swallowed. "Karaoke?"

Benson raised an eyebrow. "Karaoke?"

"Yeah!"

"The last time we did karaoke, we all ended up in a fight." Benson said flatly. "And don't even remind me of the tape..."

Mordecais eyes went to the carpet. "I know but..." He brought his gaze up slowly. "Nothing's going to happen like last time. Besides, it'll be just you and me."

Benson leaned back. "Well, you've got a point..." He shook his head. "However, I'm not really up for singing..."

"Aw come on, Benson, It'll be fun!"

The gumball machine gave him a stern look then sighed and smiled his employee. "Alright, fine. I'll go."

* * *

><p>"Could we get a diet soda and a lemonade please?" Benson asked the waiter, who scribbled down their order, then left. He turned to the jay, who was watching the stage; a girl in her late 20s was singing a rendition of "Because the Night" and he made a face; her voice wasn't the best, admittedly. Benson sighed and grabbed one of the song books from the middle of the table.<p>

He began to skim the songs just as the girl finished hers. A quiet applause went round the room as she bowed and stepped off the stage and Mordecai turned back around, his face bright. "You chosen a song yet?"

"For who?"

"Uh..you?"

"Me?!" Benson put the book down, panicked. "I already told you I don't sing-"

"-Come on, it's supposed to be fun, dude."

Benson folded his arms. "Alright then, what song are you singing?"

Mordecai took a book with a smile and read through. After a couple minutes, he pointed at one. "Number 77."

Benson opened his own book and when he saw it, he stared at the jay in disbelief. "Really? You're going to sing that?"

"Pft are you going to sing something?" Mordecai countered back.

Benson rolled his eyes at Mordecais terrible taste in music then looked back at him. "I think I'll just watch you."

"Come on Benson, you gotta sing something. That's the whole point of us being here."

Benson gave Mordecai a hard stare. "Nope, I'm not singing." He leaned back in his seat, just as the waiter came back with their drinks. Benson took his and sipped it as Mordecai frowned.

"Please Benson?" He pleaded but Benson just shook his head.

"I'll just watch you." His boss repeated firmly.

Mordecai sighed, standing up. "I'm gonna go put mine in then."

Benson watched him go. "I can't believe he talked me into this…" He muttered, grabbing the straw.

A loud burst of applause from the audience made Benson look up at the stage just as a young male took a bow and jogged off the stage, his face pink. He wondered how many singers there were left and when Mordecai's turn would be…only because he wanted to leave as soon as possible. Since the incident with the tape, Benson had sworn he'd never step foot inside another karaoke bar again but lo and behold, months later he'd ended up at the same one. On the drive there, Mordecai'd told him, to ease his doubts, that Carrie'd ended up selling the place to some guy in his mid 40s so they'd be fine; that did settle Benson a tad though he still shifted anxiously in his seat when he saw his drink was halfway gone.

Benson fell back into the leather and looked around at the crowd to see Mordecai making his way through the tables occupying half drunk people in their late twenties and early thirties. He rubbed his temples as the blue jay slid into his seat across from him and Benson cocked an eyebrow when he saw a cheeky smile on his employees face.

"What're you smiling about?"

Mordecai smile widened as he reached for his drink. "Nothing."

Benson looked at him, doubtful, but he decided to leave it. Shaking his head, he finished off his drink then pushed the glass away. "When're you up?"

Mordecai turned around slightly, pointing up at the stage where a young female and young male were singing a duet of "Don't go breaking my heart". "After these two, I think."

Benson smirked at the song choice. "Ugh this song…"

"My mom used to play it all the time. She was so embarrassing." Mordecai went a light red at the memory and Benson smiled in amusement.

"Really?"

"Yeah…it took ages for me to let Rigby come to my house; she just embarrassed me all the time." Mordecai shook his head, then turned back when he heard a light applause going around the room. Benson looked past him to see them bow then run down the steps.

When the crowd'd settled (which didn't take long), Mordecais face began to light up as he turned back to Benson.

_"And for the final act for tonight, we have Mordecai and Benson!"_

A polite clap went round the room, but Bensons insides went cold at hearing his name.

Benson leaned forward, seething. "What did you do?!"

"You're singing with me, dude. I put your name in cause I know how stubborn you are." Mordecai started to move out of his seat but despite having his name called, Benson didn't move an inch.

"I told you I'm not singing."

Mordecai rolled his eyes, reaching for his arm. "You'll thank me later." He pulled his boss up, much to his annoyance and dragged him to the stage but Benson yanked his arm back, his face hot with anger.

They both grabbed a microphone each from the now-owner and made their way up. The annoyance seeped from Benson as they turned to the audience and it was now replaced with slight nerves. His eyes went wide and he felt himself begin to shake. Now he knew why he didn't do karaoke...

Mordecai saw from the corner of his eye and his smile faltered a bit. "You okay Benson?"

"What?" Benson suddenly frowned at his employee. "Oh yeah, I'm fine, thanks to you."

Mordecai only smiled as the guitar rang through the speakers and Benson felt his throat go into his stomach. Why had he agree to this?! He saw Mordecai getting ready to start singing and he swallowed, staring straight ahead.

_"All the small things"_

_"True care, truth brings"_

_"I'll take one lift"_

_"Your ride best trip"_

_"Always I know"_

_"You'll be at my show"_

_"Watching, waiting, commiserating"_

_"Say it ain't so"_

_"I will not go"_

_"Turn the lights off"_

_"Carry me home"_

Mordecai let the_ "na na na"_ of the song go as he turned to Benson and when he saw the gumball machine shaking, he frowned. "Come on man, you're up."

"What?!" Bensons face paled.

"Yeah you're singing the next verse." Mordecai was grinning, his ecstatic mood radiating on to Benson and the gumball machine looked back at the crowd, focusing on the guitar and drums and tapping his foot to the beat as he tried to listen to the song, closing his eyes.

He opened his eyes and put the microphone to his mouth, singing the next verse loud and clear.

_"Late night, come home"_

_"Work sucks, I know"_

_"She left me roses by th_e stairs"

Benson started to smile and he caught Mordecai's eyes, who was staring at him in pure shock.

_"Surprises, let me know she cares"_

Turning back to the crowd, he sang into the mic.

_"Say it ain't so"_

_"I will not go"_

_"Turn the lights off"_

_"Carry me home"_

Benson felt the adrenaline rip through him as he let the song carry on like Mordecai had. When the guitar riff filled the room, he turned to the jay who couldn't stop staring at him and Benson wanted to laugh but when he heard the song build up again, he gave Mordecai a knowing nod and Mordecai just managed to register it; he nodded back with a determined smile and the two faced the audience, singing their hearts out.

_"Say it ain't so"_

_"I will not go"_

_"Turn the lights off"_

_"Carry me home"_

_"Keep your head still"_

_"I'll be your thrill"_

_"The night will go on"_

_"My little windmill"_

Mordecai and Benson turned away, continuing.

_"Say it ain't so"_

_"I will not go"_

_"Turn the lights off"_

_"Carry me home"_

They faced each other, grinning as they sung the final verse.

_"Keep your head still"_

_"I'll be your thrill"_

_"The night will go on"_

_"The night will go on"_

_"My little windmill"_

Mordecai and Benson let the weight of the microphones drop their hands down as they stared at eachother, breathing hard, their faces flushed with excitement.

A roaring applause from the crowd made them jerk their heads and they straightened to stare out, seeing people stand up giving them a standing ovation and they felt their bodies go hot. Benson couldn't stop smiling as he followed Mordecai down the steps and they gave their mics back to the guy.

"That was an incredible performance, you two." He said, smiling. "You both have pretty good chemistry together. Our other performers are just average 90% of the time but you...you've got something..."

The duos bodies went hot again and they couldn't stop the smiles that pushed through. Thankfully, Mordecai got a hold of his emotions before Benson. "Thanks." He replied cooly and Benson could only nod.

They paid the bill for the drinks then exited the place. As soon as the door'd shut, Benson let out a loud yell and Mordecai quickly shushed him when he saw people staring.

"Sorry Mordecai but aw man, that was..." Bensons face was still flushed with happiness and his eyes were a little too bright. "Incredible." He breathed then he continued. "I used to get that same rush when I played for Hair to the Throne, but it wasn't as amazing as this."

Mordecai smiled. "You still mad at me?"

"Mad?" Benson stared at him. "No way. I'm...happy."

They made it to the car and got in. Benson started it and they drove out the parking lot. When Benson saw the time on the dashboard, he felt the rush begin to slow down.

"Ah crap it's almost midnight!" He banged the wheel as they came to a yellow light. "How long were we there for?"

"A couple hours."

He made a left, falling into silence as he let the rush leave him.

"Thank you so much, Mordecai. That was just..." When he couldn't find the right word, his expression melted into a warm smile. "I'm so glad you made me go up there." He said quietly.

"See? Didn't I tell you it'd be fun?"

Benson drew a breath as he drove up to the Parks entrance. He stopped and let the car gently rumble as he leaned back in his seat, turning to Mordecai, who was looking back.

They smiled at each other and Benson felt something bubble inside him; excitement from the performance, perhaps?

Mordecai paused and glanced away, thinking. "What do you think that guy meant when he said we had good chemistry together?"

Benson blushed. "Maybe he meant that we just fitted well together when we were singing?"

Mordecai nodded, but he knew it was a lie and with a surprise, so did Benson. The gumball machine let the car rumble as he continued to look at Mordecai; he was still out of breath from the duet and he felt a real smile crawl on his lips.

The longer they stared at eachother, the more Benson felt himself slip into a dream like state and he slowly leaned forward, his eyes closing but when he felt Mordecais hot breath on his cheek, his eyes sprang open and he jumped back, his cheeks going a dark scarlet.

"Oh my gosh, Mordecai, I-I..I need to get home. Could you-"

Mordecai had the same idea and he nodded, opening the door and slamming it shut. He watched Benson speed away down the street, but he didn't turn around and walk back to the park right away; his mind was SPINNING.

"Holy crap..." He whispered in to the night.

Mordecais heart was racing in his chest and his face was going red the more it processed. He tried to swallow but his throat was dry and he finally turned around, letting the cool breeze brush through his feathers, cooling his body as he walked back to the house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

**Sorry if this chapter is bad. Sorry if any characters are OOC. I'm seriously just writing this as I go along, hahah**

Mordecai groaned as he slowly faded back to reality. He was slightly aware that someone was shaking him awake but he tried to ignore it and go back to sleep. When they wouldn't stop, he frowned.

"Mordecai."

"What, Rigby?"

"Get up man. You slept in."

Mordecais eyes snapped open and he jolted awake in panic. "What?! What time is it?"

Rigby jumped away, holding up his hands. "Chill dude, we've got like, 20 minutes.

"What? Why'd you wake me up?!"

"Becauuuse I wanted to tell you about what happened with me and Eileen last night!"

Mordecai groaned in irritation and fell back, his head hitting the pillow. "Tell me in 10 minutes." He turned to his side but just as he closed his eyes, Rigby threw the covers off, making the jay sigh.

"No man, listen!"

Turning to face the racoon, Mordecai slowly pushed himself back up. "Alright, what happened?"

Rigby lowered his voice to a whisper. "We almost kissed..."

"Wait, what?!"

The racoon nodded. "We were just watching a movie then she leaned over me to get something and-BAM! An almost kiss." Rigby looked at Mordecai, grinning. "I told you I had charm!" He yelled, pointing at the jay who was sat frozen in bed, his mind swimming. "And you didn't think I did."

Mordecai scoffed, trying to ignore his heart in his ears. "I never said you did."

Rigby folded his arms, looking off to the side. "Pff whatever. But hey, at least I know she likes me!"

The jay stared at the racoon till something clicked in his mind and he began to smile. "Wait...do you like Eileen?"

"Yeah, she's a cool chick-"

-"No dude, I mean...do you like Eileen...in a romantic way?"

Rigby suddenly went red and he started to get nervous. "Uh I-I might...?"

"That's adorable."

"Shut up!" Rigby screeched then he frowned. "Anyway, what happened with Benson last night?"

Mordecais gut wrenched. "Oh uh...nothing. We just..." The blue jay swallowed. "Went to karaoke, did a duet, and...yeah...t-that's it."

Rigby looked at him carefully. "Really?"

"Yeah..."

"Dude, what happened?"

Mordecai felt a rush of panic. "Uhh..." His eyes caught the clock and he jumped up. "Oh man, we're late for work-"

-"But it's only 5 to-"

-"Come on man we're late!" Mordecai was running out the door and Rigby had no choice but to follow, frowning in confusion.

Mordecais odd behaviour became a lot more noticeable when they were sat at the steps while Benson read out the jobs. The jay seemed like he just wanted to get this over with and everytime their boss would look up at the group, Mordecai would avert his eyes down and go a light red, making Rigbys brow furrow.

When they were finally given their assigned work, Rigby saw Mordecai breath a sigh of relief and he followed the jay down to the shed to grab the paint cans and brushes.

"What was up with you back there?" Rigby asked as he grabbed the brushes.

"What?" Mordecai looked over at the racoon, holding the cans. He gave a strained smile. Oh, it was...nothing, dude."

Rigby raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. He shut the shed door and headed back to the house, watching Mordecais back. Mordecai set the cans down and opened them, standing back as Rigby dipped both brushes in then handed one over to the jay. They stood painting the side of the house in silence, Rigby glancing over at the jay every now and again, but his confusion just grew. Finally, when he couldn't take it any longer, he sighed and lowered his brush.

"Seriously man, what happened last night?"

Mordecai kept his eyes on the house but after a few seconds, he stopped and sucked in a breath. He leaned his head against the dry paint and closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. Turning to the racoon, he went red. ". . .We almost kissed."

"Ohh duuuude!"

"No not "oh duuuude! This is bad!"

"Why?"

"Because..." Mordecai went redder. "H-He almost kissed me."

"OHH DUUUDE!"

"Arg!" Mordecai groaned, his face flushed. "This is so bad." He hit his head against the wood.

"What? I thought you liked Benson?"

Mordecai sighed. "I do but-"

"So you were in denial?"

"What? No, I-"

-"So you weren't?"

"Rigby, this isn't about that!" Mordecai stepped away from the house. "Benson's starting to like me back..."

"So what's the trouble? You like him, he likes you. There."

Mordecai put his head in his hands, his groans muffled and Rigby suddenly perked up.

"Wait...what song did you sing at the karaoke bar?"

Mordecai smiled weakly as he took his hands away. "All the Small Things?"

"Ah man!" Rigby grinned. "This is just...perfect!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying this."

Rigbys grin dropped. "Hey man, you're just making too big a deal out of what happened."

"No I'm not!"

The racoon sighed and shook his head. "I'm gonna go to the coffee shop. You coming?"

"Dude, Margaret's gonna be there! When she finds out, she'll just freak out or something."

"So is that a no?"

Mordecai bit his lip, looking back at the house. "Fine." He hung back with his stomach churning.

* * *

><p>When the duo entered the cafe, Rigby gave Mordecai a wink and the jay sighed as he slid into a stool at the counter, Rigby sitting beside him. Soon, Margaret finished serving a customer and when she saw them, her smile brightened.<p>

"Hey guys." The robin went round and stopped in front of them. "What can I get you."

"Actually Margaret." Rigby cut in, making her look at him in surprise. "Mordecai has something to tell you."

Margaret beamed at the jay. "What's happened?"

Mordecais face flushed in embarrassment. "We almost kissed."

Margaret gasped then squealed, making Mordecai hide his face in his hands. "Margaret, please!"

"Sorry Mordecai but-ah this is so exciting!" She grinned. "So...tell me what happened..."

"What? What's there to tell? We almost kissed. That's it."

"No diaper boy, I mean tell me the details." Her eyes lit up. "What really happened."

Mordecai just stared at her at a loss for words till Rigby chimed in.

"They went to karaoke last night and sung All the Small Things."

Mordecai sent him a heated glare but Margaret only gushed.

"Aw Mordecai did you pick that song?"

He nodded.

"That's so sweet."

"Ugh..." Mordecai threw his face in his hands again, prompting Rigby to continue.

"And then..." He slowly stopped when he realised Mordecai hadn't told him the rest. "Uh Mordecai? What happened after?"

Raising his head, the jay sighed, knowing they weren't going to leave him alone. "When he pulled up to the park gate, he-he stopped and...we just kinda...leaned back in our seats and..." Mordecai stopped when he felt his face burning. "We looked at each other and h-he leaned towards me but. . ."

Margaret sighed. "Aw I'm sorry Mordecai..." The bell suddenly rang and she looked up. "Darn, I have to serve this guy. Be right back." She walked away and Mordecai got up out of his seat, his insides jelly.

"Alright, I'm going back to the park."

"Come on dude." Rigby whined from his stool but Mordecai didn't look back. Rigby glanced at Margaret then jumped off and raced after him.

* * *

><p>"So THAT'S what happened..."<p>

"Yeah." Mordecai sighed.

"Man why didn't you just go for it?"

"Why didn't YOU just go for it?"

"Because I didn't know if Eileen was ready."

Mordecai gave him a look. "Exactly."

"Dude, Benson likes you already-"

"-But not in that way!"

"He almost kissed you! What more proof do you want?"

"What if he doesn't? I mean, what if that was just from when we sung? He was pretty wound up last night."

Rigby shook his head. "Ugh why are you always in denial?"

"Hey, I'm not in denial." Mordecai went through the gates, Rigby beside him.

"Yes you are! You can't even accept the fact that someone likes you back!"

"Because he doesn't!"

"And how would you know?"

"Because..." Mordecai started, then he went quiet, fuming silently. "Because he just doesn't...alright?"

A long silence followed as they walked back to the house and when they saw the brushes and cans gone, a new coat of paint on the side of it, they stopped and looked at each other in confusion.

"Where are the cans?"

"They're back in the shed, along with the brushes."

Both of them jumped at Bensons voice and they watched him walk over, his clipboard in hand.

"When I want a job done, I expect it done quickly." He continued. "You take your break when you've finished, got it? I'm tired of picking up after you."

A rock settled in the jays stomach and he felt a pang of guilt. "Y-Yeah, Benson...we got it..." _So that's why he'd been so exhausted lately..._

Benson looked at Mordecai but it was like last night'd never happened. He simply stalked past them and back in to the house. When the front door slammed shut, Mordecai winced. "Aw man..."

"Geez, after last night, I expected Benson to be a bit more easier on us. Guess not."

Mordecai sighed. "Come on man, let's go get the mower..."

* * *

><p>That night, Mordecai didn't ask Benson to hang out with him. For one, Rigby wasn't with Eileen since she'd gone to see her cousins violin performance with her parents and because Mordecai didn't feel like seeing their boss...especially after what happened. So the duo spent the rest of the night playing video games. When they heard Benson come down the stairs, Rigby glanced over at Mordecai expecting him to pause it and ask their boss something, but the jay kept his eyes on the screen. He heard the door open then shut and the jay felt his heart sink.<p>

"You still think I'm in denial?"

"You're always in denial."

"No I'm not!"

"Uh yeah, you are."

Mordecai huffed and leaned back in the couch. "Why didn't he say anything?" He muttered.

"Maybe 'cause Benson's in denial too."

"What? No way."

"Why is it so difficult for you to just admit that he likes you?"

"Because he doesn't." Mordecai shook his head and moved off the couch. "I'm going to bed."

"Come on man, we've almost finished the game."

"We'll finish it tomorrow."

Rigby looked back at the tv, then switched it and the system off. "Dude, don't be like that." He jumped off the couch and went after him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

The night came and went and Mordecai's stomach was still churning over what'd happened by the morning. He wanted desperately to talk to Benson about it but he worried about what he'd say and if he tried to ask Rigby what he should do, he'd just tell him to ask him right out, which Mordecai didn't want to do at all. When he saw Benson after he'd sat down on the step next to Rigby, he sighed and decided he'd talk to him after everyone'd gone to do their jobs.

"Hey dude?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you get started on our job? I just…want to talk to Benson…"

Rigby nodded. "Sure man."

"Thanks Rigby."

Mordecai sat tense, wondering if this was the right thing to do, when he heard Benson dismiss them and he watched them disband, Rigby included, till it was just him and the gumball machine left. Benson walked up the steps but before he passed Mordecai, the jay opened his mouth.

"Hey, Benson?"

Benson stopped, his clipboard in his hand. "Yeah?"

"Can I…just talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh, yeah…sure." Benson sat down next to the jay, confused, resting his clipboard on his other side. "What is it?"

"It's uh…" Mordecais face began to warm. "It's about what happened the other night. When you dropped me off."

"Oh." It started to register in Bensons mind and he glanced away. "Oh um…that."

"Yeah."

"Listen Mordecai, I had a lot of fun that night. But what happened after….I was just so hyped up that I…I didn't mean to…"

"Oh…" Mordecai cut in and Benson winced when he heard his voice.

"I really do appreciate you wanting to spend time with me, even though I've been pretty busy these last couple days." Benson tried and he smiled despite the uncomfortable silence but Mordecai didn't look at him.

They both stayed quiet, the tension heavy in the air when Benson suddenly stood, grabbing his clipboard and Mordecai looked up.

"I better get to my office. I've got some paperwork to do. Remember, after you've watered the garden, you need to clean the attic." Benson walked past his employee and when the door shut, Mordecai's shoulders slumped and he soon pushed himself off the step, going off to find Rigby.

He found him in the garden, where he was dozing in the sun; presumably waiting for Mordecai. When he heard the jays footsteps, Rigby opened his eyes, raising the watering can. "Hey man. How'd it go?" He asked, sitting up.

Mordecai took a can from the wheelbarrow and went to the tap to fill it up. "He said that he didn't mean it."

"So he's not in denial then?" Rigby stood and tipped his can onto the soil.

Mordecai turned the tap off when the water'd gotten to the top. "I don't think he is…"

"Man, I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

The duo let the sun warm them as they got the job finished, but Rigby could tell Mordecai was disappointed over their boss' response. Nonetheless, they got it done in silence then went back to the shed to return the tools. Mordecai sighed heavily as he grabbed the dusters and ladder and he followed Rigby back to the house. After they'd propped the ladder up, Mordecai climbed up with Rigby holding the bottom then the racoon went up after him, handing a duster over.

They got to work, neither of them saying a word, till Rigby groaned. "Ugh, do you wanna take a break?"

"Are you kidding?" Mordecai stopped dusting to turn and look at him. "Benson already talked to us when he found out we hadn't finished painting the house."

"So? It'll be fine man, you worry too much." Rigby dropped his duster and went to the ladder. "I'm just gonna get a bag of chips okay?" He added when he saw the jays face. "I'll be quick, geez."

Rigby disappeared and Mordecai rolled his eyes as he went back to the job. About a minute later, Mordecai heard someone come up the ladder but he didn't turn.

"Hey you guys have done a pretty good job." Benson exclaimed, looking around when he got to the top. He stood on the ground, his hands on his hips but when he saw a slacker absent, his eyes went to the jay. "Wait, where's Rigby?"

"He's taking his break." Mordecai replied. Benson sighed irritably and moved back down the ladder but he stopped when the jay hadn't turned.

"Mordecai, you okay?"

The jay turned slightly. "Yeah, why?"

"I…." Benson began then he shook his head and backed down the ladder. Mordecais brow furrowed but he continued. He soon heard yelling downstairs and a few seconds later, he heard someone hurry up the ladder, bag of chips in hand.

"Geez, what's his deal? I just got hungry. Does he want me to starve?"

Mordecai sighed, not bothering to repeat himself to the racoon. Instead, he put his duster on a box and, figuring he could do with some chips, he turned with a smile and walked over to Rigby who'd plonked himself on a medium sized box and was eating hungrily from the bag.

When he saw the jay, he slowly stopped.

"Hey dude, can I have some chips?"

Rigby started to smile as he held out the bag and Mordecai took a handful. The jay sat on a box near the racoon and Rigby went back to the food but he looked up.

"Wait, what about Benson?"

"I think we've done enough." Mordecai put a few chips in his mouth. "Benson said that we'd done a good job while you were gone anyway."

They smiled at each other before finishing off their food. When they were done, they went back to the job.

"Hey Mordecai?" Rigby asked from across the room.

"Yeah?"

". . .You're not over it, are you?"

Mordecai suddenly stopped, staring at the spot he'd just dusted. He felt his stomach clench and he swallowed the chip crumbs, letting out a long sigh.

"No…I'm not. . ."

Rigby didn't press Mordecai after that and he watched in silence as Mordecai folded the ladder up. The jay lead the way downstairs and to the shed where they put the equipment back.

"I think our breaks should be an hour, max." Rigby said as they walked back to the house.

Mordecai scoffed. "Dude, you'd just use your break to take a nap and even then you wouldn't do your job when it's over."

"Yeah I would!"

"No you wouldn't man, you're lazy. Besides, our jobs aren't even that hard anyway."

"Just cause you're the more responsible one."

"Exactly."

Rigby huffed and didn't say anything for a while. "What if I did take naps though? At least I'm re-energising myself."

"I'd rather you eat chips or play video games. At least you wouldn't want to go back to sleep."

"Hey, I would not! I'd finish the job."

"Sure dude."

"Oh yeah, well what would you do if our breaks were an hour long?"

"I'd just do what we usually do; play video games and go to the coffee shop."

"Boooooring."

"Whatever man. You'd use your break to take a nap. I'd use mine to do what we usually do."

A beeping from Rigby's pocket made them both stop and Rigby reached down to pull his phone out. He looked at it to see he had a text message and when he opened it, he saw it was from Eileen.

Reading the text, his brow furrowed in confusion. "She wants me to come over to her house."

"Why?"

"She said she's doing a project for school and she needs me to help her with it." Rigby explained, closing the phone and pocketing it. "Sorry dude, I gotta go."

"Aw what?"

"Sorry man. I'll be back later though so we can hangout then."

"Alright." Mordecai waved to the racoon as he raced down the path and Mordecai made the rest of the walk back to the house. When he got inside, he threw himself down on the couch and switched their system on but the jay only got a few minutes in before he cast the control to the side and groaned. Leaning forward to turn it off, he pushed himself up and headed to the kitchen for some lunch.

Mordecai fixed himself a sandwich and sat down at the kitchen table. Without Rigby there, the atmosphere just dropped completely. He sighed as he took another bite but the faint rattle of gumballs made his eyes go to the doorway and Benson soon emerged, holding a pad and paper.

"Oh, hey Mordecai."

"Hey." Mordecai watched him go round to the pantry and open it, his boss glancing up as he scribbled something down on the paper. "What're you doing?"

"I'm checking to see what food we don't have." Benson answered, shutting the door and moving to the fridge. He opened it and knelt down, scribbling on the pad again. "I'm going grocery shopping." He added when Mordecai hadn't said anything.

Mordecai finished off his sandwich and pushed his plate away.

"Put that in the sink."

The jay looked over at Benson in surprise but he hadn't turned around. Mordecai grabbed the plate with a sigh and dropped it in the sink. Turning around, he watched Benson pick up the milk carton, shake it, then put it back, returning to his notepad to write something down.

"Where's Rigby?"

"He's at Eileens. She wanted his help to work on a project or something."

Benson paused, staring at the contents in the fridge, before standing and shutting the door. "Do you want to come with me to the store? I mean, it'll give you something to do."

Mordecai hesitated. Did Benson still want to spend time with him? Even after what happened the other day? "S-Sure, yeah…"

Benson spun on his heel and went over to the front door, Mordecai following. They got into the gumball machines car and Mordecai was instantly pulled back to that night. He leaned back in the seat, feeling suddenly lightheaded as Benson turned the ignition on and backed down the path. They drove out the gate and headed to the store, neither of them saying a word.

Benson grabbed a shopping cart as Mordecai looked over what they needed. Seemed simple enough.

"We don't need much, so this won't take long." Benson told him. He took the paper back and ripped it in half, Mordecai staring at him." To speed this up, maybe you can take half of what's on the list and I'll take the other half?" His boss suggested as he handed a piece over. The jay took it, nodding.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." He already knew Benson was doing this, just to give him something to do. But he seemed so calm about it. Had he already forgotten about what happened the other night? Frankly, Mordecai couldn't stop thinking about it; it'd been on his mind since.

"Good. You go get your stuff, I'll get mine. We'll meet back at the checkout." Benson gave a nod to his employee then headed off to an aisle with the cart. Mordecai stood there a moment, watching him go, before he glanced down at his list then went to a different aisle.

5 minutes later, Mordecai'd finished his list and he went to find Benson. He went down to where the checkouts were and when he didn't see Benson at any of them, his brow furrowed. Where was he? Mordecai walked up the ends of the aisles, looking down each one, and when he saw a small red figure, he smiled and headed down the aisle. As he got closer, he saw Benson was standing on his tip toes trying to reach for a box of cereal.

Mordecai couldn't hide his amused smile and he let out a short laugh as he threw his pile into the cart. Benson heard and his head turned, his face flushing with embarrassment when he saw his employee looking at him. "Shut up, Mordecai." He muttered, straining himself to get the box. Mordecai stood next to him and watched him for a moment, before speaking with a smirk.

"Do you need some help?"

"No, I got it."

Mordecai folded his arms. "You sure?"

"Look, how about you go to the checkout? I'll meet you there."

"It'd be a lot easier if I just get the cereal for you."

"Just go to the checkout, please."

Mordecai didn't move. He looked up at Bensons hand fumbling to grab the box that was just out of his reach and he shook his head. Rising on his toes, he reached up and tilted the cereal forward so it landed in Bensons hand. With a smile, Benson fell back on his heels as Mordecai lowered his hand, looking back at the gumball machine.

When Benson saw Mordecai looking at him, he frowned and rolled his eyes, throwing the box in the cart. "Let's go."

Mordecai smiled as he followed Benson down the aisle and to the checkout. "Aren't you going to thank me?"

"I didn't need any help."

The jay scoffed but he didn't reply, knowing full well how stubborn Benson was. He didn't want to irritate him, although it was fun to wind him up, so he hung back. Most of the guys would agree, but Mordecai liked Benson in his relaxed state. It made him less intimidating and seeing him like this, where his mind wasn't focused on work for once, made the jay smile. He wished Benson was like this most of the time but to him, work came before anything and it was rare to see Bensons mind wandering somewhere that wasn't to do with his job. Well, not entirely. This _was _still to do with his job in a way. But at least he didn't have his clipboard with him.

Mordecai took half of the bags from the cart while Benson took the other half. They went out to the car and Benson opened the back door, wordlessly putting his bags on the seats then going to the cart to put it back as Mordecai put his bags in. He shut the door then went round and got in the passenger seat, hearing the rattle of gumballs before Benson got in next to him and turned the key.

On the way back to the park, Mordecai fiddled with the radio and Bensons gaze cut to him a couple times when the time it took for him to find a good station bore into minutes. Finally, when he'd found one that had music instead of news, the jay leaned back into his seat and stared out the window, thinking.

A familiar tune rang from the speakers and Mordecai looked to the radio when the lyrics started. Mordecai glanced at Benson and he saw the gumball machines eyes were wide and his face was red, the jays stomach flipping as he remembered that night and how caught up they'd been in the song. Listening to the lyrics, it finally sunk into Mordecai's mind and he sighed when he realised why Margaret'd gushed when Rigby told her.

"Oh geez…" Benson murmured. "I can't believe I allowed myself to get so carried away that night…"

Mordecai didn't know whether he meant the song or…the thing that wouldn't leave his mind. "Come on dude, it was still fun."

Bensons face went redder and he let out a shy smile. "Y-Yeah, it was." He admitted.

Mordecai felt his face warm. Now he really didn't know what Benson'd meant. He smiled despite himself as he went back to staring out the window. It was fun, he had to admit.

A sudden loud honk made Mordecais head turn and his eyes went wide when he saw them heading towards a truck. "Benson!" The jay reached over and grabbed the wheel, making a hard right so they drove into a ditch, the truck just veering past them.

Benson braked and as the car settled to a quiet rumble, he leaned back in his seat, breathless. Mordecai sat frozen, staring at his boss, till Benson turned to him, his face a light pink as the colour slowly came back into his face and he just managed to croak "Is the shopping okay?"

Mordecai expression began to soften and his lips split into a grin. He started to laugh and he fell back in his seat, throwing back his head as he sat there laughing hard at his boss' question. Benson looked at him, waiting for an answer, but he couldn't help the smile that curled on his lips and he soon laughed quietly to himself.

The jay wiped a tear from his eye. "Yeah, the shopping's okay."

Benson took the wheel, driving slowly back up on to the road. "Good. He paused. "Thanks for saving us, Mordecai. I must've got distracted or something…"

"No problem."

His boss put a hand on his head, his face twisting. "Ugh, I think I hit my head on the window when we drove off the road."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah it just hurts a bit."

Benson reached over to switch the radio off, but Mordecai didn't stop him.

* * *

><p>Benson opened the front door and Mordecai followed him to the kitchen, where they dumped the bags on the bench. As the gumball machine turned to the jay, Mordecai looked at his forehead and his eyes widened when he saw the bruise.<p>

"Ah Benson, you've got a large bruise on your head."

"What?"

"I'll get you some ice, hold on." Mordecai went to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack. "Just hold that on it while I put the shopping away."

Benson took the pack and placed it on the bruise, wincing as hot made contact with cold. He frowned. "No Mordecai, you don't have to-"

-"It's fine." Mordecai grabbed a carton of eggs and moved to the pantry. Benson watched him, wanting to step in, but when he saw that Mordecai'd got the hang of it, the gumball machine headed to the stairs.

"I'll be in my office if you need me." He told him before disappearing up.

Mordecai put the milk carton in the fridge then stood with a sigh. He packed up the plastic bags and bundled them in a pile, walking over to a draw to put them in. It was funny; they had a draw full of plastic bags, yet they never used them. They never recycled them or re-used them for their groceries. They kinda just…sat there, taking up space.

The jays phone buzzed in his pocket and his hand closed around it as he pulled it out. He saw he'd gotten a text message from Rigby and he opened it, reading what he'd sent him.

_hey duuude, turns out eileen needs me tmrrw for her prjct so I'm gna stay overnite. Dat cool wit u?_

Mordecai groaned. _Yeah man, that's fine. _he texted back. Lowering his phone to his side, he sighed in aggravation. _Great, now what was he going to do?_ His phone buzzed a minute later and he looked at it.

_thanks man! Dw at least u hve bnsn to hng out wit :)_

Mordecai switched the phone off when he felt his gut flip. He pocketed the phone and looked at the doorway. _Yeah, but would Benson want to hang out with him?_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

**A/N Aah I'm sorry I keep changing the description. I'm just writing this fic as I go along so I'm not too sure on where this thing's going exactly XD BUT the description that's there now is the official one. I promise haha**

Choosing to take his chances, the jay headed to the stairs and went up to his boss' office. He knocked softly on the door and when he heard Benson mutter something, he pushed it open.

"Hey, Benson."

The gumball machine glanced up. "Oh hey, Mordecai."

"Um, I just got a text from Rigby saying that he's gonna be staying overnight at Eileens because of her project. Is that okay?"

"As long as he's back here by 9 tomorrow morning." Benson murmured as he scribbled something down.

Mordecai smiled. "Okay."

When Benson didn't hear his door close, he looked up to see Mordecai still in the doorway. "Did you want something?"

"Uh…y-yeah I…" Mordecai cleared his throat and he stepped away from the door. "Since Rigby's gonna be at Eileens, I…I was wondering if you, you know, if you wanted to hang out tonight?"

Even though he couldn't get the night out of his head, Mordecai couldn't deny that he still wanted to spend time with him despite it. He just hoped Benson said yes.

Benson was taken aback. "Oh uh...yeah, sure." He began to shuffle through his papers. "I don't think I have much work to get done…"

Mordecai started to smile. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't really have anything else to do except work. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Well…" He gave a nervous laugh. "N-Not really. It was kinda last minute…" A blush creeped on Mordecai's cheeks and he glanced away in embarrassment.

"I'm not really up for going anywhere." Benson admitted.

"Oh!" Mordecai looked up in surprise. "Oh uh…I wasn't going to suggest us going out. I mean, I'm okay with staying here if." His face flushed. "If _you_ want to stay here. I don't want to choose if you're not okay with it." He smiled crookedly at Benson and Benson felt his chest flutter._ Did Mordecai actually care?_

"Oh um….no it's-it's okay Mordecai, I..I'm alright with staying here. I just….I mean, it's been a lot of fun going somewhere these past few nights but I kinda want to relax a bit, you know?"

"Yeah!" Mordecai blurted. "Yeah, totally. I get what you mean. Don't worry Benson, it's fine." He reassured, his smile warm.

"Okay so, we're just hanging out here?"

"Yip."

"I'll meet you downstairs when I've finished. That alright with you?"

"Yeah, yeah that's fine." Mordecai flashed a smile at his boss then headed downstairs.

About 45 minutes later, Benson'd finally finished and he exited his office. "Mordecai?"

"Yeah?"

The gumball machine made his way to the lounge. "I was just wondering where you were."

"Oh, okay." Mordecai turned back to the tv with a smile and continued to shuffle through the pile of VHS tapes.

Benson sat on the couch, watching his employee. "What're you doing?" He eyed the popcorn bowl on the table.

"I'm choosing a movie for us to watch-ha found it." The jay opened a VHS case and slid the tape in. He backed up onto the couch and sat next to Benson, who shuffled away slightly.

"What're we watching?"

Mordecai's cheeks went pink. "Shy guy."

Benson raised an eyebrow.". . .Is it a romantic comedy?"

"It's a good movie!" Mordecai protested and when he saw his boss smiling in amusement, he fell back into the couch. "Is it bad to like romantic comedies?"

"Course it's not. I just find it strange how we have the same taste in movies."

"Huh, you never struck me as a hopeless romantic."

Benson shrugged. "I guess I'm full of surprises."

Mordecai smiled at his boss then settled into the cushion as the film started. They fell into a comfortable silence, it often being broken by their laughter and the chewing of buttery popcorn. For the second time that week, Benson found himself in tears by the time the credits rolled.

Mordecai sniffed, finishing off his mouthful of popcorn. Benson heard and he turned his head, seeing the jay give him a watery smile and wiping his eyes.

"Ugh it gets me everytime." Mordecai saw the tear stains on Bensons cheeks. "And it got you too." He commented.

"Huh?" Bensons face suddenly went red when he felt his cheek. "Oh, y-yeah."

"Don't be ashamed, dude." Mordecai slid off the couch and fell on his knees in front of the VCR. Pushing the "eject" button, the tape slowly came out and Mordecai grabbed it. "Rigby still gives me a hard time about it." He shook his head as he put the tape back. Clicking the case closed, he stood and grabbed the bowl from the table.

Benson watched him leave to the kitchen, the gumball machine wiping his eyes. He sighed and looked back at the tv, that fluttery feeling coming back.

"Do you want a soda?" Mordecai called, his hand on the fridge door.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

Moments later, Benson heard the fridge door shut and the jay emerged with two sodas in his hands. He handed one to his boss then sat back down next to him; a bit closer than before.

Benson opened his drink and took a sip. The cold liquid slipped down his throat, and he felt the bubbles fizz on his lips. He looked up and his eyes locked with Mordecai's, who was staring back at him. Benson looked away, his cheeks going red as he lowered his soda.

"What else should we do?" Benson asked, placing it on the table.

Mordecai lowered his own. "You wanna play some video games?"

"Not really."

He paused. "Hm well, we could...watch tv?" It was still on despite the film being back in it's case.

"What'd you and Rigby usually do?"

"Well, we sometimes go down to the coffee shop or to the arcade but." He rubbed his neck. "You said you didn't want to go anywhere tonight."

"Yeah…"

An awkward silence fell across them and to ease it, Benson grabbed his soda and took a tentative sip, avoiding his employees eyes. He put it back on the table and fell back with a sigh. Benson looked over at Mordecai but he was staring at the carpet. The jay soon felt Bensons eyes on him he raised his gaze up.

A warm smile played on Bensons lips. "I know I've said this before Mordecai but…I really like spending time you." There was just something about the jay that made Benson feel a bit more alive, but he'd never admit it.

Mordecais smiled shyly. "I-I like spending time with you too, Benson."

"We should do this more often. Just hang out at home." Bensons cheeks went pink. " It's more….quiet…" His voice trailed off and more silence followed

It was broken when Mordecai spoke up. "Yeah, we should." He saw Benson looking at him and his face got hot. "I-I mean if you want to."

"Yeah, I do." Benson brought his gaze up to rest on Mordecai's and they looked at each other. The gumball machine felt the flutter in his chest again and he could feel himself lean forward, slipping into that same dream like state. His eyes began to close and when Mordecai's breath stained his cheek, his stomach flipped and he could feel Mordecai was inches away…

A loud knock at the door made Bensons eyes snap open and he drew back suddenly. His face hot, he managed to choke out "Who's that?"

Mordecai swallowed, his heart sinking. "I'll go check."

Benson watched him leave for the door, his heart slamming against his chest. He put a hand to his head, his mind racing. What just happened?

Mordecai opened the door to revel a beaming Margaret on the porch, dressed in her work uniform. Upon seeing the robin, Mordecai's jaw dropped. "Margaret?! What're you doing here?"

"I just finished work and I dropped by to you know, catch up." She frowned in confusion when she saw he was staring at her. "Is something wrong?"

"What? No! No no no nothing's wrong!" Mordecai rattled. "I mean if something was wrong I'd tell you right? Hahaha…" The jay plastered a wide smile on his face but Margaret just rolled her eyes.

"Oh I definitely missed that." She smiled cheekily and walked past Mordecai who shut the door with a shaking hand. He followed the robin into the lounge and when he saw Benson giving him a puzzled look, he shrugged innocently.

"Geez why's it so dark in here? And why's the tv on if you're not even watching anything?" Margaret switched the light on and turned the tv off.

She sat between Mordecai and Benson as Mordecai gabbled out an answer "W-we just finished watching a movie."

"Oh what was it?"

"…Shy guy…" Mordecai admitted quietly.

Margarets expression brightened. "I remember that movie! And aw Mordecai."

Mordecai went red. "Yeah…hehe….Oh uh Margaret, this is Benson." He gestured to his boss, who gave a slight smile. "Benson, you remember Margaret right? She works at the coffee shop…"

Benson forced a wider smile. "It's nice to meet you properly, Margaret."

"You too, Benson." Her eyes sparkled and Benson was thrown off for a brief moment before her gaze returned back to the jay.

Mordecai cleared his throat. "So Margaret, you said you wanted to catch up?"

"Yeah! How've you been Mordecai?"

"I've been…good. What about you? How's work?"

"Sorta quiet, sorta busy. Since Eileen's been taking the past couple days off to work on her project for school, it's just been me and this new girl."

"And how's that been? Good?"

Margaret opened her mouth to reply but Bensons voice filled the room as he stood up.

"I think I'm gonna go home. It's getting pretty late."

Margaret glanced at her watch as Mordecai looked at him in panic.

"But it's only 6:30." Margaret noted, bringing her gaze to him.

"I had a hard day today."

"Can't you stay, Benson?" Mordecai asked.

Benson glanced at Margaret then when he caught Mordecai's eyes, the jay saw a look of regret and hurt on his face before his eyes fell on the couch arm. "No I…I gotta get home." He couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice and Mordecai watched him go to the coat rack, grabbing his jacket with his stomach in knots.

Mordecai spun round when the door shut. "Margaret I can't believe you!"

"What?"

"You-You sent him out the house!"

"No I didn't!"

Mordecai groaned and put his head in his hands. "We almost kissed again." He muttered.

"What?! Mordecai what happened?"

"We almost kissed!" Mordecai took his hands away. "It…It was the perfect chance and…you interrupted it." He sighed. "It would've happened…"

Margaret suddenly gasped. "Mordecai, did you see Bensons face before he left?"

Mordecais cheeks flushed. "What? No."

"Yes you did. He looked hurt because of me coming in." Her cheeky smile dropped and she looked at Mordecai, sympathy swamping her when she saw the jays low face. "Aw Mordecai, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay Margaret. You didn't know." He tried but his voice faltered and the robins face instantly lit up.

"You know what this means when Benson was hurt with what happened?"

"What?"

"It means he likes you!"

Mordecai stared at her then shook his head. "Nope, no way."

"Aw come on Mordecai, why can't you admit it?" Her smile wouldn't waver.

"Because he just doesn't!" Mordecai said indignantly. "I mean, why would he like me?

"I could list a million reasons why."

"Margaret!"

"I'm kidding, geez." She laughed. "But really Mordecai, how can you not believe it?"

"Because I don't, okay?"

"Alright, when you two almost kissed the first time, who went to kiss who?"

Mordecai paused. ". . .Benson. . .?"

"And the second time?"

Mordecais face got hot and he looked away. "Benson."

"Exactly! I mean, if Benson doesn't have feelings for you, he's starting to. You've been spending a lot of time together and remember when I said that something was bound to spark? I was right. The karaoke night…"

"Ugh Margaret just…stop this alright? I need to get to bed anyway." Mordecai moved off the couch.

"How can you still be in denial?"

Mordecai stopped. "I'm not!"

"Yes you are, Mordecai." Margaret laughed in disbelief. "Why don't you think Benson likes you when it all adds up?"

"Look, I'm going to bed." Mordecai stood and so did Margaret. "It was nice of you to come over and I'll see you tomorrow." He went with her to the door but Margaret turned as she stepped back out onto the porch.

"Why don't you think he likes you?" She demanded.

Mordecai gave her a hard stare, though it was hard to do when he knew she'd keep giving him a hard time about it. Finally, with his hand on the door edge, he sighed in exasperation. ". . .We wouldn't work."

"What'd you mean?"

"I mean that…well…" Mordecai went quiet. "Why would Benson like a slacker?"

"You're not a slacker-"

"I know but…" He began to grow agitated and he frowned at the robin. "Ugh Margaret, can we just talk about this some othertime? I'm really tired." His hand fell to the doorknob and Margaret sighed.

"Yeah…yeah, sure Mordecai." She smiled slightly. "Have a good night." She suddenly winced; probably not the best thing to say since what'd just happened.

Mordecai pretended not to notice. "You too." He shut the door and waited to see the light of Margarets headlights cut into the lounge before letting out a long sigh and climbing up to bed, leaving the half drunken soda cans on the table.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

**A/N: Ah geez I'm sSORRY about how late this chapter is. I was just in Wellington for a week but I meant to get it done before I left. I ended up having really bad writers block on this one and it was too late anyway. But yeah, I got it done despite the horrible creative block! Enjoy!**

**Also I just want to thank PureAwesomeness101 for giving me the idea for the second half of this chapter. Thanks dude! :D**

"Uggh…." Rigby fought to stay awake on the steps at that mornings meeting but his eyes couldn't fight it anymore and Mordecai had to nudge him awake at least 4 times.

"Dude, wake up. Benson's watching you." Mordecai whispered.

Rigby forced his eyes open to catch a glimpse of his boss frowning at him before they closed again and he started to snore softly.

"Rigby." Mordecai elbowed him again and Rigby jumped awake, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry dude, I was just up late at Eileens last night."

"Why?"

Rigby yawned. "You know her project?"

"Yeah?"

"It turned out that-"

"Mordecai, Rigby, would you like to share what you're talking about with the group?"

Rigby shook his head. "Nah, we're good."

"Then pipe down! We've got a lot to get done today." Benson returned to his clipboard and Rigby groaned, wiping a hand across his face.

"Dude, I need some coffee."

"You already had about 3 cups this morning."

"Did I?" Rigbys face screwed up in confusion. "I don't remember."

Mordecai shook his head. "Seriously man, what was Eileens project?"

Rigby opened his mouth to reply but he caught sight of Benson and he sighed. "I'll tell you after this."

Mordecai folded his arms and looked ahead, watching Benson give out the jobs. He couldn't get last night out of his head, especially his face before he left. He felt a pang of guilt and he glanced down at the steps.

"Hey man, you okay?"

"No…"

"Oh yeah, what happened last night with you and Benson?"

Mordecai glanced up at their boss, his stomach in knots. He didn't answer for a long while and he kept his eyes on the step. "I'll tell you after this."

Rigby frowned. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Rigbys back slid against a tree and his rake fell beside him as his butt hit the ground. His eyes began to close again and in seconds, he was snoring.<p>

"Rigby, wake up."

"Huh?"

Mordecai stopped raking. "What was Eileens project?"

"Oh." Rigby rubbed his eyes. "It was to see how long someone could stay awake for with having a certain amount of sugar in them."

"And she used you as a test subject?"

"Yeah." When he saw Mordecais face, he frowned. "I thought I could do it okay?"

"That explains why you're so tired." Mordecai went back to the job, his back to the racoon.

Rigby paused. "What happened with you and Benson last night?"

Mordecai froze up and his face grew hot. "I think…Benson….likes me….."

"What?!"

"Yeah, um…" Mordecai held the back of his neck and he turned to see Rigby smiling wide.

"What happened dude?"

"We almost kissed again."

"Why didn't you go for it?"

Mordecai huffed. "Because Margaret interrupted it."

Rigby groaned, falling back on the grass. "What happened after?"

"Uh well, Benson left-"

"He left?!" Rigby sat up.

"Yeah. And when he did, Margaret just told me that she thought that he liked me."

"Why?"

"She thought she saw that he was hurt because of what she did."

"Are you gonna talk to Benson about it?"

"About what?"

"About what happened."

Mordecai's eyes went wide. "You think I should?"

"Yeah, man. Then you can see Bensons reaction."

Mordecai paused, thinking it over. "Okay. I'll talk to him when we've finished this." He began to smile as he looked back at the raccoon.

"Come on dude, you gotta help me with this."

Rigby looked at the leaves scattered around the ground before throwing his head back on the grass. "Ugh nahh…"

"Aw come on man!"

* * *

><p>"Alright, just gotta do it."<p>

Mordecai gripped the bannister and climbed the stairs, his legs threatening to buckle with nerves. When he got to the office door, his stomach was doing flips as he raised a fist to knock.

"Yeah?"

"H-Hey, Benson…." Mordecais face was burning as he opened the door. At the sight of his boss, he swallowed. Did he really want to do this?

"Hey Mordecai."

"So listen, uh…." The jay found himself at a loss for words when Benson raised his head fo look at him. "I…was…thinking about what happened last night and….." He shrugged, seeing Bensons cheeks go a light pink. "I was wondering…if-if yooooou…..like Margaret?"

". . .What?"

"Yeah! Cause you know, she came over last night and you didn't really get to know her cause you left pretty early." Mordecai forced a smile.

"Oh uh…." Benson rubbed the back of his neck, thrown off from how abrupt his employee was being. "I guess? I mean, she's a nice girl…."

"Great! That's uh….that's great that you think so, Benson."

Benson raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you came up here for?"

Mordecai felt his cheeks burning. "Y-Yeah, that's it…." He pointed to the door. "I better go finish off my chores." Mordecai moved to the doorway. "See ya later, Benson!" He shut the door with a slam and Benson stared after him in bewilderment.

Mordecais back slid against the wall next to his boss' office and he put his head in his hands. He heard the patter of feet on the stairs but he didn't look up.

"Hey man, how'd it go?"

Mordecai took his hands away to see Rigby standing in front of him, chewing a candy bar.

"I chickened out." The jay muttered, looking at the floor.

"Aw come on, dude. You just need more confidence."

Mordecai looked back up and he eyed the racoon for a moment. "Weren't you, like,

dead from exhaustion about an hour ago?"

Rigby stopped and glanced at the candy in his hand. He shrugged and took another bite. "I bounce back pretty quick." He said casually before getting back to the matter at hand. "Anyway man, we need to get you confident again."

"Well, what'd you suggest?"

"Maybe you could hang out with Benson again tonight?"

"Are you serious?"

"Hey, hear me out." With the candybar in hand, he began to explain his idea to the jay. "All you gotta do is get him alone again and this time, make sure no one's coming over. Especially Margaret."

Mordecai stared at him before leaning his head back against the wall. "That's your idea?"

"Yeah. What you don't like it?" Rigby bit into the bar.

"Dude after what happened last night, I doubt Benson's gonna wanna hang out with me again."

Rigby paused. "Seriously man, just go for it."

"What?" Mordecais head jerked forward.

"If you can't get him to hang out with you, then the only option you've got left is to man up and do it."

Mordecai's face paled. "That can't be my only option, can it? I mean, what if he's not ready and….and he just runs off and never speaks to me again?"

"Dude, come on. He likes you and everyone knows it."

". . .But what if he doesn't?"

"Seriously? From what you've told me, I'm pretty sure he does." When Mordecai didn't reply, he rolled his eyes. "Geez, why are you always in denial?"

Mordecai ignored him and stood, pushing himself off the wall. Rigby saw his expression and he followed after him, the jay going down the stairs.

"Why don't you think he likes you?" Mordecai still ignored him. "What's the big deal? You like him and he's almost kissed you twice so he obviously likes you back!"

Finally, when they got to the lounge, Mordecai spun on his heal, fuming. "It's because I'm a slacker, alright? I'm just." He stopped and averted his eyes down, hurt. "I'm a slacker."

"What? You're not a slacker; you're way more responsible than me."

"No man, I mean…I'm just an art school drop out. Like-Like I'm not up to Bensons standards…" he finished quietly.

The truth'd come out. And it hurt. A lot

Rigby paused to look at him. He watched the jays shoulders slump, his face getting red and his arms folded as he looked away. His eyes softened and he sighed.

"Dude don't think like that. Benson _does_ like you, alright? All of us can see it." He reassured.

Mordecai glanced up, but he still had doubts. He just couldn't believe it. "I'm gonna go to our room to think."

Rigby watched him turn and he lifted a hand. "Alright man. I'll be at the coffee shop if you need anything."

Mordecai swallowed, waving a hand back, and he carried on up. He heard the front door shut and he sighed heavily. Putting his foot on the final step, he walked into their room and backed up into the door so it shut behind him. He moved to the bed and threw himself down. Mordecai stared up at the ceiling with his chest tightening as the minutes wore on. As much as he wanted to believe Rigby and the girls, he just couldn't. With his arms spread out on his blanket, the jays mind began to race with thoughts till tears started to fill his eyes. No way would Benson like someone like him; it was impossible.

Mordecai suddenly sat up, making his head spin. Hot tears spilled on his cheeks and he let out a whimper when he felt his stomach turn. He continued to deny everything that'd happened that the 3 took as Benson returning the feelings as he sat on the edge of his bed, his hands splayed out on the blanket. Mordecai looked down at the floor with more tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away and in doing so, a choking sound escaped him and he closed his mouth, covering his face with his hands as he began to cry.

Benson was in his office and through the ticking of the clock that cut the silence every now and then, he heard another sound. At first, he ignored it. But when it persisted, and became a notch louder, Benson slowly stopped to focus on it. Soon, he shook his head in irritation.

"Ugh, probably Mordecai and Rigby playing some game." He muttered. "Rigby's such a sore loser." Benson went back to his work, trying to block it out, but it wouldn't stop. He stopped writing again and frowned. "Geez, wonder what they made a bet on to make him cry this much…"

Benson put a head in his hand, waiting for it to stop or at least quieten down. Finally, it did but he still couldn't focus on his work. The gumball machine put his pen down and stood. If it continued any longer, Benson didn't think he'd get anymore work done. Opening his office door with an aggravated sigh, he walked out and stalked to the duos bedroom. Benson reached out to grasp the handle and he threw the door open in frustration, ready to tell the racoon to pipe down.

"Look Rigby, I have a lot of work to do so-"

His words were cut off by loud sobbing and Benson froze at the sight. _Was that…..Mordecai?_

The jay was on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. Tears were falling through the cracks in his fingers and Benson felt a pang of sympathy. He'd only seen Mordecai cry a couple of times, not counting the movies, but this was just sobbing. Benson stood to the spot for a few seconds, his eyes narrowed in confusion, his heart sinking. It almost….saddened him to see Mordecai this upset. But what he was crying over made questions raise for the gumball machine.

He swallowed and took a hesitant step closer. "Mordecai?"

Mordecai didn't raise his head, prompting Benson to step further into Mordecai's space. He knew this was probably none of his business; heck, Mordecai could probably be crying another movie. But he wanted it to stop. Not only because it was interrupting his work but he also felt sympathy for the jay run through him as he listened to his cries.

When Benson was a few inches away, he looked at the empty space next to Mordecai and bit his lip. Lowering himself down, Bensons eyes softened when they set on his employee and he reached out to rest a small hand on his shaking back.

Mordecai jumped at the contact, making his cries cut off immediately and making Benson draw his hand back. Despite this though, when he raised his head, Benson could see his bloodshot eyes and tears running down his red cheeks and he felt his heart sink. The jay quickly realised who was sitting next to him and his face went redder. He looked away and dropped his hands on the bed.

"Oh, uh, h-hey Benson…"

Benson smiled softly as he slowly put his hand on Mordecais back again. "You okay?"

Mordecai swallowed. "…No…"

"Wanna tell me what's up?"

"It's uh…it's kind of…personal…"

"Oh. Is it something between you and Rigby?"

Mordecai shrugged, his heart starting to speed up. "You could say that, yeah."

Bensons hand slowly slipped from Mordecai's back as he stood. "Okay." He paused. "I better get back to work. I've got a lot to get done." Benson turned to go but feathered fingers wrapped around his wrist and a chill went through him for a split second before Mordecai released his grip.

"Actually…I kinda….want to talk to you…It's what I was crying about." Mordecai rubbed his arm in embarrassment, his eyes on the floor as Benson sat back down next to him. When he felt his boss' weight on the bed, Mordecai swallowed. "It's uh…it's kind of weird, actually…" His voice trailed off as he calmed his nerves. Benson watched him, his brain itching to get back to his office to finish his paperwork.

Mordecai took a deep breath. "It's uh. . .sort of about the times you uh…tried to…kiss me…" he choked out. His face was heating up and he closed his mouth, the jays hands clasping and unclasping. He never knew what to do with them.

Bensons eyes went wide and he looked away, his heart beginning to race. "Oh. . ."

"Well, it backed it up but-" Mordecai suddenly froze and Benson looked at him carefully.

"Backed what up?"

"Uh. . ."

"Mordecai, what're you taking about?"

Mordecai sighed heavily and wiped a hand across his face. He turned to Benson who was staring him in suspicion. It was threatening to burst inside him and one look at his boss made him know he had to confess. "Alright, look. Rigby, Margaret and sort of Eileen have had this thought. Since I admitted to me having a crush on you, I started hanging out with you a lot more and they've been even more convinced. And when you almost kissed me last night and Margaret saw your face before you left, she knew."

"Knew what?" Bensons eyes searched the jays face. "What the heck are you on about?"

"That uh…" Mordecai stopped and a small smile began to appear on his lips. He started to laugh in amusement but Benson stared at him in complete confusion. "That you like me back." Mordecai laughed a bit harder but Bensons eyes widened and he felt his stomach twist. He watched the jay with his hands beginning to shake. "But that's crazy." Mordecai's laughter gradually died down and the grin eased back to a smile when his eyes set on Bensons. "Right?"

Mordecai saw Bensons face had gone pale and the smile dropped from his lips. "Benson?" Mordecai forced the smile back on his face. "That's crazy right? I mean, it's just a thought. It's not true. . .is it?"

Bensons face was burning. He averted his eyes down but Mordecai saw and he inched away, his skin beginning to prickle. A long silence followed but both boys could feel their hearts in their ears. Benson was wondering how Mordecai couldn't hear his, especially from what was running through his mind.

"I think I have an idea of what you were crying about." Benson said quietly.

Mordecai swallowed. "Heh…really?"

"Yeah. And uh. . .it's okay."

Mordecais eyes narrowed in confusion. "What'd you mean?"

"I uh…" Benson raised his head and his gaze locked with the jays. "I. . .I think I. . .might li-"

A shrill ring made both men jump back and Mordecai groaned. He gave Benson a shy smile as he reached into his pocket.

"Sorry, I gotta take this." He said, pulling his phone out. Bensons heart sunk and he looked away as Mordecai pushed the call button. Holding it to his ear, he spoke to the racoon. "Ugh what is it dude?"

"I'm just calling to check on my bro. How's it goin' man? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." He mouthed a sorry to his boss but Benson was standing to go. Mordecai stared at him in surprise. "Hold on a sec, Rigby." Covering the receiver with his hand, Mordecai spoke to his boss. "Where are you going?"

"I've got a lot of work to catch up on, Mordecai." Benson sighed. "We'll talk about this tomorrow."

Mordecai watched him wordlessly leave the room, the jays heart sinking. He looked back at the phone and frowned as he took his hand away. "Anything else?" He snapped.

"Geez, what'd I do?"

Mordecai glanced at the doorway to make sure Benson wasn't still there. "Nothing. Look, I'm sorry for getting mad but it's good you called."

"What, why?"

"There's something I need to tell you."

Rigby paused. "What?"

Mordecai glanced over at the doorway but it was clear. Lowering his voice, his heart began to speed up. "You and Margaret were right. I think Benson likes me back."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

**A/N It's finally finished! :D**

**I'm so sorry for the extremely long wait; believe it or not, this chapter was pretty difficult to get done. I had a horrible creative block and I just kept getting distracted, honestly hahah**

**But yeah! I really hope you like this one guys. I'm so proud of this chapter (and this fanfic in general) and I hope you enjoy/enjoyed reading this!**

There was a long silence. Then. "What?! How'd you know?"

"Because Benson told me." He stated.

"Woah, really?"

Mordecai paused. That wasn't Rigby. "Wait. . .Margaret?" When it hit him, he frowned. "Rigby, are you on speaker phone?

"Yeah?"

Mordecai groaned.

"Don't worry Mordecai, no one can hear you except us." Margaret chirped. "The coffee shop's empty."

He knew he was stuck with this so he had no choice but to continue. Mordecai was silent for a moment as he went back to Margarets question. Letting out a sigh, he spoke. "Well, he didn't exactly tell me."

"What'd you mean?"

"He almost did until Rigby phoned. Then when I answered, he just left."

"What? Why does he keep leaving every time he gets interrupted?" Rigby asked.

"I don't know! He said he had work to do. I mean, I guess that was true but yeah, that is pretty weird..." Mordecai turned his head so he was facing away from the doorway.

"How'd you even get him to admit it though?"

Mordecai's face warmed. He didn't want to tell them what made Benson come into their room in the first place. "I didn't. I think he already knew..."

"Woah."

"Yeah." Mordecai went quiet. "What if he doesn't though?"

Silence. ". . .Wait. . .what?"

"I mean, he didn't actually admit it. Besides, what if he didn't know if he did? What if he-"

"Are you still in denial, Mordecai?" Margaret asked harshly.

"No! I just-"

"-How much more proof do you need? I mean, he almost admitted it to you. Do you need it in writing?"

"What? Margaret-"

"Benson likes you; both of us know it-"

"-I know you do. I just...I don't think I'm up to Bensons standards okay?"

Margaret stopped. "Oh, Mordecai. Of course you are." The softness in her voice had an edge to it. "Give me the phone, Rigby." It was passed over. Footsteps were heard. "...Do you know why I fell in love with you?"

The jay froze, thrown off guard at the question. "N-No..."

"Because you cared. You cared so much about me and you wanted to make sure I knew that. If Benson can't see how much you care about him, then how has he not figured it out yet?" Mordecai was silent. "He does like you back and you're still in denial. Fact facts, Mordecai." The faint jingle of a bell was heard then Margaret sighed. "Sorry, I gotta get back to work. Good luck." More footsteps then Mordecai heard the phone being passed over before Margaret walked off. Rigby pressed a button so only he could hear Mordecai's voice.

"How'd that go?"

"You're not going to give me a lecture are you?"

"Nah man."

"Good. She just told me to face facts."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. I know he almost admitted it but I just don't think he does. I mean, how could he like me?"

Rigby sighed. "Well we think he likes you back. Just hang in there dude." He paused. "Do you want me to get you a coffee or anything?"

"No thanks." Mordecai hung up before Rigby could answer. The jay closed his phone in his hand as he fell back onto the mattress, his arms spread out, his gaze on the ceiling. Something from the corner of his eye caught his attention and Mordecai sat up, his eyes narrowing at the empty doorway. He edged off the bed and stood, abandoning his phone as he walked over. When he peeked his head out and saw nothing, his brow furrowed. Must've been the light...

* * *

><p>Benson pressed himself against the wall in his office, breathing hard. He'd almost been caught. Usually he didn't eavesdrop but when he'd heard his name, he couldn't resist. When he'd calmed himself down, he sighed and walked back to his desk. But he couldn't concentrate. Mordecai's words kept running through his head.<p>

Up to his standards? . . .Is that what Mordecai was crying about?

_Oh man..._

Bensons stomach turned. And how Margaret'd just told him to face facts. That _was _pretty harsh. But if Mordecai'd been in denial for this long then. . .was it true that Benson had feelings for him? Or had it just been in the jays mind?

He _did _like Mordecai. And he had to admit, he _did _make Benson happy. And the night they went to karaoke- he'd had a lot of fun. But what happened after. . . Benson's face flushed at the memory. And Mordecai's expression; he'd looked as surprised as Benson'd felt. Had that meant anything? He could just blame it on the adrenaline rush from the karaoke place but . . . thinking about it . . . he knew the rush wasn't from the duet.

It was from Mordecai.

How the jay made Benson feel alive. He loved it. He'd seen a side of him that he'd always taken advantage of but now. . .

It was strange; Benson liked girls. He always had. But there was something about Mordecai he couldn't place.

Benson didn't have many friends; he'd kept to himself most of the time. But Mordecai was the first one to make him start to open up and try to get out there. He'd made the effort.

Benson started to smile as he picked up the pen and looked down at the paper.

He couldn't deny that when he was with him, it just felt right. . .

* * *

><p>Mordecai swung open his bedroom door and dragged himself downstairs. He didn't dare go to Bensons office; he was probably busy with all that paperwork he needed to get done. Besides, after that conversation with Rigby and Margaret, he felt even more like crap. And the last thing he wanted to do was confront the person who was the one that made him feel this way.<p>

Mordecai fell on the couch, sinking into the cushion. He stared at the tv in silence till his stomach rumbled. _I knew I should've asked Rigby to get me something..._

He continued to keep his eyes on the screen and tried to ignore his stomach when, minutes later, he heard the front door open and he sighed.

"Hey, I'm back!" Rigby called.

"I'm in here dude."

His voice quietened as he walked in the lounge. "I got you a coffee anyway. You sounded like crap on the phone."

A warm smile spread on the jays face as he took the styrofoam cup from Rigbys hand. "Thanks, man." He saw Rigby was holding a brown paper bag and he sat up as the racoon sat next to him. "What's in the bag?"

"A jelly donut." Rigby answered, pulling out a circle donut that was dripping with purple jelly. He took a huge bite, making a large blob land next to Mordecai.

"Ugh!"

Rigby looked up and when he saw Mordecai frowning at him, he shrugged. "Sorry man." He gave him a sympathetic glance before going back to his food.

"I'm not cleaning that up."

"What?!"

"That's your mess." Mordecai gestured to the jelly. "So you have to clean it."

Rigby finished off his donut and sighed. ". . .Can you clean it?"

"Dude!"

"Alright, alright, I'll clean it. Geez..." The raccoon jumped off the couch and headed to the kitchen. He returned moments later with a wet rag. Kneeling down, he wiped the jelly off while Mordecai stood up watching him, taking tentative sips of his drink. When he was done, Rigby stood and went to put the rag back.

"Do you wanna play video games?" He asked as he came into the lounge. Mordecai was already back on the couch, the paper bag on the table. His coffee cup was next to it.

"Did Benson give us anymore chores to do?"

Rigby jumped on the seat next to him, moving to grab a control. "I don't know."

Mordecai watched him for a moment and, realising he didn't have a choice, he sighed and reached over to grab his own. He needed a break anyway.

It was about 10 minutes into the game when Rigby suddenly paused. Mordecai stared at the screen with his mouth open, his control still in his hand.

"Dude, what're you doing?! We were just about to beat-" He broke off when he saw the racoon giving him a knowing look. "What?"

"You're not getting into the game. What's up?"

Mordecai's face fell and he looked away, his eyes on the floor.

"Come on, man." The racoon cast his control beside him. "Is this about Benson?"

Mordecai was quiet for a moment. "I. . ." He sighed as he looked back at Rigby. "I just don't think he does. I get what you're trying to say but it's...impossible." Rigby opened his mouth to say something but Mordecai beat him to it. "Plus. . .he likes girls."

Rigby didn't say anything till finally, he shrugged. "What if he likes both?"

"What? But I've only seen him date girls."

The racoon shrugged again. "I'm just saying. He might only like girls...who knows, man." He picked up his control again and resumed the game. "I didn't find out you liked guys as well until you told me. Like, what if Benson's hiding it?"

"I doubt it."

"I'm just saying, dude." He repeated.

Mordecai folded his arms and sunk back in the cushion. A few seconds silence followed till Rigby spoke.

"You gonna play?"

The jay leaned forward, picking up his control. As he played, he picked up the cup and took a long sip, trying to forget about Benson and the phone call earlier on.

Finally, night fell and the two finished off their game in darkness. When the words "YOU WIN" flashed up, Rigby jumped up and proceeded to rub it in Mordecais face.

"OOOOH I WIN! AND YOU LOSE! AHAHAHAH..."

"Pfft yeah, whatever dude." Mordecai rolled his eyes despite the smile on his face. "I just let you win."

The racoons victory dance was cut short as he pointed at the jay. "What? No way. You just suck at it."

"Dude, I beat you 5 times in a row the last time we played this."

"SHUT UP! Can you at least let me have this win even if you did let me beat you?"

Mordecai sighed. "Fine." He watched Rigby point and jeer at him with a wide smile curling on his lips, till Bensons office door opened and both of them froze as their boss whisper-yelled down to them.

"Can you guys keep it down? I've got a splitting headache."

Mordecai swallowed the lump that'd formed in his throat. "Y-yeah, sorry Benson." He called up, only making Benson angrier.

The door slammed shut and Rigby groaned. "Ugh he's such a killljoy" He landed back on the couch, looking at Mordecai who was staring at his coffee cup. "Dude?"

"Yeah?" Mordecai tore his eyes from the cup.

"You okay? You were a bit spaced out there."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." He sighed and reached over to grab his controller. "Do you wanna play a different game?" When Rigbys eyes narrowed in suspicion, Mordecai smiled slightly. "I'll play for real this time, I promise."

Rigby started to smile. "Okay, I'll play." He bounded to the shelf under the tv and pulled out their pile of video games. After flipping through them, he finally found one and he went back to the system. He switched games then sat back on the couch and picked up his controller.

"Which game'd you pick?" Mordecai asked. Rigby gave a sly smirk and the jay looked at the screen just as the words came up. "_Bound Beneath_? Ugh you know I suck at this game!"

"Why do you think I chose it? So I know that you don't have to let me win because how much you suck at it."

"Alright whatever. Let's just play the game you big baby."

"SHUT UP! I'm totally gonna whip your butt."

"Well duh. This is the only game that I can't play. Maybe cause it's too easy for me."

"No it's because you just suck."

"Yeah, cause _that's_ the reason. Even the title sounds lame..."

Ignoring Mordecai's comment, Rigby pressed START and the game began. A few minutes later and Rigby was already ahead.

"Ha I'm totally gonna beat you..." He muttered, his tongue sticking out. Just as Rigby was about to pass Mordecai, the jay swerved right and shot forward, beating the racoon by a mile. They got to the finish line and Rigby stared slack jawed at the screen as it read YOU WIN!

"B-But I...I always beat you..." He looked over at Mordecai to see him staring ahead completely dumbfounded. Rigby threw the control down in a burst of anger. "This controllers busted!"

A smirk grew on Mordecai's beak. "Whatever. You're just mad cause I finally won this lame game."

Rigbys hands balled into fists. "That was just luck."

"Pfft..."

"At least I know you played properly that time." Rigby jumped off the couch then spun on his heal. "I'm gonna get a soda." He said, heading towards the kitchen. "You want one?"

"Nah, can you just get me a bag of chips?"

The racoon waved a hand behind him and Mordecai smiled as he rested into the couch, folding his hands on his lap. He stared at the screen, basking in his victory before Rigby returned, when he heard Bensons office door open upstairs and a chill ran through him.

The gumball machines gumballs rattled as he descended the stairs and Mordecai didn't move. He waited with his heart racing, half hoping Benson would stop and say something when he got to the bottom...Mordecai stiffened when he heard the gumballs stop and he swallowed, waiting in the silence, but Benson never said a word. As he heard the front door open, something suddenly occurred to Mordecai and his eyes widened...

His keys. He'd left his keys upstairs.

Mordecai shot up but it was too late; the front door'd closed. He paused, looking at the stairs, when Rigby emerged from the kitchen, a soda in one hand and a bag of nacho chips in the other. His smile dropped as his eyes fell on the jay.

"What're you doing?"

"Benson left his keys upstairs." He gabbled, running forward and racing upstairs.

"He'll remember! Just leave it!" Rigby called but Mordecai was already halfway up. The racoon collapsed on the couch with a sigh. "Do you still want your chips?"

Mordecai burst into Bensons office and when he saw the keys sitting on the desk, he grabbed them then turned and ran down.

Benson was almost to his car when he patted his coat pocket for the keys. A frown curled on his lips and he sighed. "Damn, I must've left them upstairs." He turned and trudged back to the house, walking up the porch steps.

Mordecai reached out and just as he grasped the doorknob, he flung it open- only to freeze in his tracks. Bensons hand was outstretched, his mouth open in horror as he stared back at the jay; their lips were inches away. Bensons face took on a pinkish hue and Mordecai's own cheeks began to flush but they only stared at each other. A few moments passed before Bensons eyes slowly traveled down and when he saw his keys in Mordecai's hand, he swallowed.

"My keys..."

Mordecais gaze followed his and he jumped back. "Oh! Oh yeah uh...h-here, Benson." He held them out and Benson took it, their hands brushing. Bensons face went a light red but he buried his keys in his pocket, the familiar jingling setting him at slight ease.

"Thanks." He choked out, but he didn't meet his gaze. "I'll uh I'll see tomorrow.."

"Yeah." Mordecai reached up to hold his neck. "Goodnight, Benson."

"Night, Mordecai."

Mordecai watched Benson leave, his mind spinning. His heart was still racing at his run upstairs and down and he tried to catch his breath, listening to the jingling in Bensons pocket. He was almost down the steps-

"Benson, wait!" Mordecai called, holding a hand out, his foot out the doorway.

Benson turned. "Yeah?"

Mordecai swallowed. "You uh...you forgot something." He stepped out into the cool air and his feathers ruffled up as a breeze brushed past. Benson stood on the porch looking at the blue jay, his expression crinkled in confusion. Mordecai moved closer till their lips were mere inches away again and Bensons cheeks began to turn red. Still, Mordecai refused to meet his gaze.

Benson stared at him, his heart racing, till finally, he saw Mordecai's mouth open.

"This."

In one quick move, Mordecai tilted his head up and kissed Benson softly on the lips. He raised his arm and hugged him closer, his eyes closing, praying Benson didn't pull away.

A moment passed and Bensons mind was swimming. He stared ahead, too in shock to move a muscle. As the kiss wore on, Benson felt himself begin to relax and he reached up to wrap his arms around Mordecai's neck.

Mordecai smiled and Benson felt that familiar flutter in his chest.

But he didn't pull away this time.

Rigby watched from the window, his eyes widening. A wide grin grew on his lips and he folded his arms. _Wait till I tell Margaret..._


End file.
